


Distant Hearts

by Corovera



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Crossover, Gen, Post-Kingdom Hearts II, Post-Series, Pre-Dream Drop Distance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-04
Updated: 2014-11-11
Packaged: 2017-12-04 07:43:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 66,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/708243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corovera/pseuds/Corovera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The known worlds exist in a cluster, with any beyond that being few and far between. These mysterious "outer worlds" run by their own rules. When the Heartless discover one of them, King Mickey sends a request to Sora and his friends to investigate. But this world is different from the ones that Sora is used to, and the people he meets there have their own secrets as well...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. King's Message

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was originally posted on Fanfiction.net, and from now on it will be posted here and there simultaneously. It's gotten quite a bit of positive response there, so I hope that you like it too.

"Sora, what does it say?" Kairi asked.

She and Riku waited eagerly for their friend to finish reading the letter. It didn't take long. Sora turned around and looked at them. "It's from the King," he said, sounding somewhat surprised.

"Mickey knows where you live?" said Riku, a little skeptical. "Didn't you say you found this in your mailbox?"

Sora nodded. "It's definitely from him, though. He wants you and me to go to the castle. There's something important he needs our help with."

Riku sighed. "It's been what, two months since we got back? Is it really that urgent?"

"If it wasn't, he wouldn't have sent it to us," said Kairi.

The three of them sat on the front steps of Sora's house, thinking about the situation. Kairi leaned over, trying to read the letter. "How are we going to get there, anyway? We don't have a Gummi ship," she continued.

Sora took another look at the letter. "It says that they'll send someone in two days. We should be able to work out the details before then."

"Two days?" Riku repeated. "That's not much time."

"Well, we do have next week off from school," Kairi said, thinking out loud. "That's good – you two can't afford to miss much more."

"Who says this will take a week?" Riku reminded her. "It might take longer."

Everyone was quiet again. "So we are going, right?" asked Kairi.

"Sora and I are going," said Riku. 'If this is an important mission, it's probably dangerous. You're still really inexperienced. You haven't been in a real fight since your first time at the World that Never Was. We can't afford to put you in unnecessary danger."

Kairi looked disappointed, shifting her gaze towards the ground. "I guess you're right…"

She paused, suddenly appearing excited. "Can I at least come to the castle to find out what the mission is? Even if I just went home after that, I still want to know what you'll be doing."

Riku looked over at Sora. "What do you think?" he asked.

Sora shrugged. "There's no harm in that, I guess."

Kairi thanked him, and looked over at the door behind them. "We'll have to ask our parents about this," she said, a hint of concern in her voice.

"Tell them about it," corrected Riku. "We don't need their permission. If we need to leave, then we will. Simple as that."

Sora nodded. "Yeah, but I think they'll understand."

Riku stood up. "If that's all, then we'd better let them know. My mom should be home by now, so I'll go talk to her. You guys should go do the same."

"Got it," said Sora.

* * *

 

Sora sat on the couch with both his parents looking straight at him. They seemed shocked, and more than a little nervous. "That's what it said," Sora concluded, trying to compose himself. "I can show you the letter if you want proof."

His mother let out a deep sigh. "How important is this?" she asked. "It feels like you only just came home. Do you really have to leave again?"

"It's important," said Sora, firmly. "The letter made a point of saying so. Besides, I don't think it'll take nearly as long this time."

"I would hope not," his father said. "Akemi is visiting next week, remember? She isn't going to be happy if she doesn't get the chance to see you."

Sora recalled his dad telling him about this a few days ago. His sister was several years older than him, and was attending a university on another island. Come to think of it, he hadn't actually seen Akemi since before the islands were attacked. He didn't want to miss a chance to see her again. But the mission…

"I'll see if I can get back before she leaves," he said. "I want to see her too, but this sounds like something we have to do. I'm sorry."

His mom gave him a strained smile. "If it's your responsibility to do things like this, then we really have no right to stop you."

She stood up, and walked towards him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But please, be careful. Don't take risks that don't need to be taken. And make sure that you and Riku watch each other's backs."

"Of course. Trust me, I'll be fine."

* * *

 

The next day, the three of them met up after school. Sora explained what his parents had said. Riku followed, saying that his mom just wanted him to be back before the break ended. "She was pretty pissed that I had to repeat a year of school," he explained. "She doesn't want me to miss anything more than a few days."

"She seriously didn't mind that you're going out on a dangerous mission like this?" asked Kairi.

Riku shrugged. "She didn't care much about the whole raft thing, either, as long as we didn't get lost. I kinda wonder if anything would worry her."

"She was pretty upset when she found out that you'd let the darkness get the best of you," Sora said quietly.

For a moment, nobody said anything. "Anyway, Mom was pretty worried, even though I probably won't be coming along," said Kairi, breaking the silence. "She kept asking all these questions. Like, if I knew who's taking us to the castle, and if I had a sure way to get back."

"Sounds pretty typical of her," said Riku. "What about your dad? What did he think?"

"He said if it was any other two guys, he'd be worried," she said. "But since it's the two of you, he knows I'll be fine."

She looked over at Sora. "He also wants to know whether I'd be able to handle a real fight," she continued.

"You're not going on the mission, though!" Sora protested.

"He still wants to make sure you've been teaching me well. Just in case, you know?"

Sora nodded. "Just tell him that you've been learning fast," he said. "You're still inexperienced, but you'd probably do OK if you had backup."

Kairi smiled. "You think?"

"Yeah. You're getting pretty good."

"Got it!" Kairi said, cheerfully. "I'll be sure to let him know."

Over the rest of the day, Sora found himself becoming impatient. He'd been glad to be home, sure, but there was a part of him that missed traveling between worlds and meeting people. Now that he had a chance to do so, that part of him was getting excited. He didn't know what he'd be asked to do, but he couldn't wait to find out.

* * *

 

The next morning, the three of them met at the dock, and took their rowboats out to the smaller island. The letter had said to meet there, since no one lived there and no one would see them be picked up. Today the seas were calm, and it was an easy ride over.

When they reached the island, it became clear that they'd arrived early. There was no one there, as usual. "Looks like our ride isn't here yet," said Sora.

"You thought they'd be here as soon as we arrived?" remarked Riku.

Sora looked a little surprised. "Well, no…"

He looked out to the ocean. There were other islands further out, but they were too far to be reached by rowboat. They weren't visible from here, either. At the moment, the sky was clear, with hardly any clouds to speak of. It was a perfect day.

His appreciation of the weather was quickly interrupted. "What should we do while we wait?" asked Kairi.

Sora turned towards her. "I don't know," he said. "Did you bring anything?"

She hadn't. Neither had Riku. None of them had any idea how to pass the time. So for a while, they sat there on the sand doing nothing.

Finally, Kairi came up with something. "Sora, when was the last time we had a training session?" she asked.

Riku gave her a confused look. "Training? Now?"

"Yeah. I want to practice," Kairi told him. "Besides, it'd be something to do while we wait."

She looked over at Sora. "What do you think? You up for it?"

Sora shrugged. "Sounds good to me. I'll go get the weapons."

He ran off towards the old beachside shed, leaving Riku and Kairi alone. "Kind of an odd way to pass the time," Riku said.

Kairi gave him a confused look. "What? You don't want me to keep practicing?"

A slight smile appeared on Riku's face. "It's not that. It's just weird to think that you're so enthusiastic about this. I mean, when we were kids, you didn't like to watch Sora and I play with the wooden swords. You were afraid that someone would get hurt."

Kairi smiled back. "Yeah, I remember. I'd always be looking for shells, or something. And then when you were done, I'd give an extra to the winner."

"Which was usually me."

"Usually. But you know, we're not little kids anymore. I'm not afraid anymore. Sure, I worry about you guys, but I know you're pretty tough. You can handle yourselves just fine."

There was a pause, and then Riku spoke up. "It's not like I don't want you to learn," he said, sounding a little annoyed. "If I was that concerned, I wouldn't have given you that Keyblade I found."

"Exactly. Which is why I have to use it. I'll be in more danger if I can't fight back. Right?"

Riku waited a few seconds, not sure what to say. Finally, he spoke again. "Yeah. That's true."

Before either of them could continue, Sora interrupted. "Back," he announced.

He handed Kairi a simple wooden sword. Like all the ones they'd made and used over the years, this one was well-worn, covered with dents and scratches. "Ready when you are," he said.

 Kairi took hold of it. "Ready."

* * *

 

It wasn't too long before their ride arrived. Riku was the first to spot it. When he brought this to Sora and Kairi's attention, they quickly ended their practice session, and the three of them watched the ship draw closer.

As it approached, Sora recognized it as the one that he'd used with Donald and Goofy on their travels. It had been modified somewhat since he'd last seen it, but it was still recognizable. Eventually, the ship landed a little further down the beach, spraying sand in all directions. Sora, Riku, and Kairi ran towards it. As they came to a stop next to the ship, the door on the side began to open.

Donald stood in the doorway, looking out at the trio. Sora grinned. "Hey!" he shouted. "Good to see you!"

Donald nodded. "Been a while, hasn't it?"

He looked over at Kairi. "She's coming too?" he asked. "Sora, the King only asked for you and Riku."

Kairi stepped forward. "Would it be OK if I just came to see what the mission was?" she asked. "I could come back here after that."

Donald gave it some thought. "It's probably alright."

He looked over at Sora. "You guys better be ready. We don't have all day, so if you want to talk, we'll do it on the way there."

Sora gave him the thumbs-up. "We're ready when you are!"


	2. Outer Worlds

Donald flew the ship into the holding area, landing right by a walkway. "We're here," he announced.

He opened up the door, and walked out onto the walkway. Sora, Riku, and Kairi followed. "That didn't take very long," said Sora.

"We had the ship modified to be as fast as possible," explained Donald. "You'll understand why later."

With Donald leading the way, the group made their way through the castle grounds. The place was exactly as Sora remembered it – clean, well-kept, and peaceful. It felt as if the whole castle was welcoming them. "It's a nice place," remarked Kairi.

"Yeah, but it seems a little too perfect," said Riku. "If you live somewhere, it should look…well, lived in."

"You haven't seen Goofy's room," muttered Donald.

He stopped suddenly. In front of them was a large staircase leading up to the next floor. "These lead to the upper levels," he said. "From there, we can get to the throne room."

Sora remembered this. Riku and Kairi, however, had never been here, and so this kind of explanation was probably necessary. He and his friends followed Donald up the stairs, down some hallways and around some corners. After a while, they reached a place that seemed familiar. "We're almost there," Sora said, looking back at Riku and Kairi. "I remember this place."

Finally, they reached the throne room. Riku looked up at the huge door in front of them. The doorknob was higher up than any of them could reach. "How do we open this?" he asked.

Donald walked forward, and knocked on the door. A smaller opening revealed itself, one that was large enough for someone his size to walk through. "Like that," said Sora.

Kairi laughed. "I guess the big door is just for show."

Donald went in, and the others followed, having to duck to fit through. They entered into a large, long room with a high ceiling. At the other end of the room were two thrones, where the King and Queen were sitting.

King Mickey stood up and walked towards the group, with his queen following close behind. "Good to see ya," he said, smiling. "Has it been good to be home?"

Sora nodded. "It's been great. Quiet, sure, but that's kind of nice after being away for so long."

"Well, I hate to pull you away from that, but we've got an unusual situation that we'll need your help to deal with."

Mickey motioned towards the door. "We should go to another room. This once is nice, but it's just too formal a setting."

The group followed him towards the door. On the way, Queen Minnie approached Kairi, and began to walk beside her. "You must be Kairi," she said, cheerfully. "I've heard about you, but I don't believe we've met."

* * *

 

After a short walk, the group arrived at a small library. "This'll do," said Mickey. "It's much more comfortable here."

He pointed to a round table with several chairs placed around it. All of them sat down, and Mickey began to speak. "As I said, this is a complicated situation," he began.

He looked at the others, and continued. "Sora, the worlds that you've seen are at the outer edge of an enormous cluster. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of worlds that make up that cluster. We've only explored a small part of it. But beyond that cluster, there is an expanse of empty space. No one really knew if there was anything past that. There were some who tried to make the journey through this empty space, but for various reasons they were all forced to return. A few never made it back.

"Where did the explorers come from?" asked Riku.

"From the few worlds that know about the existence of others," Mickey replied. "There's a small community of explorers who've been visiting worlds. Some of them are there to try and fight the Heartless, but some just want adventure."

He took a moment to think and then continued. "Recently, though, there have been reports of pathways appearing through the emptiness – like shortcuts. No one knows where they're coming from, but naturally some people have been making their way through. They've found worlds there. The worlds are few and far between, but they exist.

Sora looked excited. "New worlds that no one's seen before?" he exclaimed. "I bet they're really different!"

Mickey nodded. "No one has tried to visit them, but one can assume that they would be isolated and completely independent. They probably are very different from what you're familiar with."

"So they run by their own rules," mused Kairi.

"That's what we think," replied Minnie.

Mickey nodded. "But there's a problem. Explorers aren't the only ones who've discovered these shortcuts."

"The Heartless," said Riku, grimly.

"Exactly. Someone has reported a Heartless vessel nearby one of the worlds. It's just one sighting, but it's still got us worried."

He paused. "We've ended up using the term "outer worlds" to refer to any worlds found beyond our cluster. We've only found two or three outer worlds, but if the Heartless find them, we've got trouble. Places that are this isolated would be extremely vulnerable to attack. Because of this, we'll have to try and stop the Heartless before they begin an invasion."

Sora nodded. "I see where you're going. You want us to go to this world and find a way to protect it, right?"

"Exactly," said Mickey. "Sora, you know better than any of us how to fight Heartless. And Riku, your skills will be a huge help with the mission. We've sent scouts out over the last few weeks to investigate the outer world where the Heartless were sighted. We haven't landed, but from the space between, it looks like a very large world. Usually only a small part of a world is visible from the space between, but this one shows a lot. Most of what we can see is dominated by an enormous city. There are probably a lot of people living there. We can't let a place like that be taken by darkness!"

Minnie spoke next. "Because this world hasn't had contact with others, it'll be especially important not to let anyone know you're from another world. Keep your secret unless absolutely necessary. We don't want to disturb anything there."

"That's right," said Mickey. "You gotta be extra careful."

For a moment, everyone was quiet. "Is that all?" asked Kairi.

"Just about," said Minnie.

Kairi stood up. "Well, if that's it, then could you find me a ride home?" she asked. "I'm only here to see what all this was about, so…"

She started to walk away. "Wait," said Mickey.

Kairi turned around. "Yeah?"

"Do you want to come along?" he asked her.

Sora stared at him. "But she –"

"Has a Keyblade too, right? I'm sure you've noticed that you become much stronger when you use yours."

Sora nodded. "Yeah. If I didn't, I probably wouldn't have survived as long as I have.

Mickey smiled. "There's gonna be more to this mission than fighting. It wouldn't hurt to have extra help."

Riku spoke up. "Sora, you're the one who said that Kairi might be OK if she had backup, right?"

Sora looked down. "Yeah, but…"

"If she'd got us to watch her back, then she should be OK."

"But Riku –"

"I care about her safety, too, but she'll never learn anything if we keep sheltering her. Besides, it's like Mickey said. It's not like we'll be fighting Heartless the entire time. There'll be more than that."

Kairi sighed. "Sora, I'm tired of just waiting for the two of you. I'm always worried about what'll happen, and it drives me crazy."

She looked straight at him. "Waiting isn't good enough anymore!" she said, firmly. "I want to be more than the helpless girl who always needs to be protected. I'm sick of not having any way to help." So please, just this once, let me come with you!"

Sora looked at her, and then the others. "Fine," he said. "Just be careful, and stay out of trouble if you can help it."

* * *

 

Eventually, after working out some of the details, the three of them were ready to go. The trip would take about a day. The location of the world they were headed to had been plugged into the ship's navigation system, so they didn't need to pilot it the whole time. There was already a supply of food onboard, as well as potions and other useful things. Once they entered the world, they'd have to return to the ship if they needed to contact the castle. They were advised to make contact regularly in order to report their findings. If they needed backup, all they needed to do was ask. Said backup would probably be Donald and Goofy. Hopefully, though, they'd be OK on their own.

At the moment, Riku and Kairi were waiting by the ship. Sora was catching up with Donald and Goofy, but he'd said that he'd be done by now. "He's late," Riku muttered.

Kairi shrugged. "He's talking to his friends," she reminded him. "I don't think it's right to be mad at him for that. Besides, he probably won't take much longer."

Riku leaned back against the side of the ship, saying nothing. "So what do you think about the mission?" Kairi continued.

"Well, I'm not sure what to expect, given that we know nothing about this world. If we're the first outsiders to visit, then chances are it won't be easy to blend in. We'll have to be careful."

Kairi nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I hope that the Heartless aren't causing too much trouble there, though. If they've been attacking, then people would be on guard. They might be less likely to trust us."

"That's true. And given that these are Heartless we're talking about, there probably will have been attacks. We'll have to be prepared for the impact that will have had on the inhabitants."

Kairi sighed. "Sounds like this is going to be difficult."

"I'm sure it will be," agreed Riku. "But that's why Mickey wanted us to do it. It just shows how much trust he has in us. That's why we have to succeed."

Just then, Sora walked into the hanger with Donald and Goofy. "Ready," he said. "Sorry I'm late."

The door of the ship opened, and Riku and Kairi walked inside. "If you need help out there, just let us know!" said Goofy.

Sora waved goodbye. "Got it," he said. "We'll be sure to keep in touch with all of you."

He walked into the ship, and closed the door. The inside of the ship was just as he remembered it. Riku and Kairi were already looking around. Riku pointed to the control panel. "Sora, do you really know how to fly this thing?" he asked.

"Of course I do!" Sora insisted.

He walked over to the controls and sat down in the pilot's seat. "Let's get going. We've got to get to the outer world as soon as possible!"

He started up the ship. "You two ready?" he asked.

Kairi nodded. "Yeah. Let's go!"

* * *

 

Donald and Goofy watched as the gummi ship pulled out of the landing area and took off towards its destination. "Gee, I hope they'll be alright," said Goofy.

"What're you talking about?" replied Donald. "Of course they'll be alright. They know what they're doing."

"Yeah, but no one's ever been to this place. Y'think it'll be safe?"

Donald rolled his eyes. "Of course it's not safe. There are Heartless there!"

He looked at his friend, and then at the place where the ship had been docked. "But they can handle it. I'm sure they'll be fine, so don't be so worried. Sora isn't the same kid we found in Traverse Town all that time ago. He's a lot tougher. With Riku and Kairi helping him out, I'm sure he can take care of it."

Goofy nodded. "I hope you're right."


	3. Towards the Unknown

It had been several hours since the trio had left the castle. They'd been warned that certain places along the passage were dangerous and should be navigated manually, but the ship was on autopilot at the moment and would remain that way for a while. For now, the three of them were free to do as they pleased.

For Riku, this meant taking a nap. He'd said that he'd stayed up late the previous night, and he wanted some time to catch up on sleep. Sora was keeping an eye on the controls, making sure that they were still on course. Kairi wasn't doing anything in particular. She sat by a window, looking out at the expanse of nothingness that surrounded them.

Sora looked up from the navigation system. "We've still got a ways to go," he announced. "I'd say we're about a third of the way there."

He glanced over at Kairi. "Y'know, I'm sure you could find something better to do than just sitting there," he remarked.

Kairi looked back at him. "I know. There's just not much I feel like doing."

"Well, anything's better than that. You've gotta be pretty bored if staring at nothing is all you want to do."

Kairi said nothing. She shifted in her seat, and looked back out the window. "Are you OK?" Sora asked her.

"Yeah, I guess. Just a bit worried. D'you think I'll be alright?" she said.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just worried that I'm in over my head," Kairi said, glumly. "Maybe you were right. Maybe I'm not ready for this."

"Maybe. But it's too late to turn back. Whether or not you're ready, you're coming along."

Kairi looked nervous. "Guess so."

Sora walked over and sat down next to her. "Look, you're not alone in this," he told her. "Whatever we have to face, we'll do it together. Besides, if we get in any trouble, I'll be sure to keep you safe. That's a promise."

Kairi smiled. She knew how her friend was about keeping promises. When he said something like that, he meant it. "OK," she said.

She glanced over at the control panel. "So about how long until we get there?"

Sora ran over and looked at the monitor. "Still a long time," he said. "Oh, and it looks like it'd be nighttime back home. You tired?"

"A little," answered Kairi.

On the other side of the cabin, Riku was starting to wake up. Kairi motioned towards him. "He's probably not, though."

Sora grinned. "Bet you're right."

"How about I stay awake to keep an eye on things while you two sleep?" suggested Riku. "We'll switch who stays awake every few hours, because we can't all be asleep at the same time."

"Yeah, that works," said Kairi. "We'll go ahead and rest. Once we get to the next place someone needs to fly, you wake Sora up."

* * *

 

That spot came about two hours later, and Sora had little trouble making it through. As suggested, one person stayed awake while the other two slept. By the time they were all awake, they'd almost reached their destination. Kairi was the first to spot it. At first, it was a tiny spot in the distance. As the ship drew closer, the spot became larger and larger. The surface of the world became visible. The description they had been given was accurate – a large part of what they could see was dominated by city, with other smaller settlements scattered around its borders. It really was huge, larger than any of the worlds that Sora had seen before. Kairi looked out the front window. "So this is the outer world we're here to protect," she murmured.

"We'd better make preparations to land," said Sora. "Lemme just get that ready…"

He started pressing buttons and pulling levers, getting the ship ready to send them to the world's surface.

"Wait," said Riku. "Sora, look at this."

He pointed out the window to the left. Sora looked over in that direction, trying to figure out what Riku had seen. It didn't take him long. There was a small Heartless vessel floating nearby. "You think they've noticed us?" he asked.

"Not sure," said Riku. "We should probably take them out before they do."

"Got it," replied Sora.

He began to turn the ship towards the nearby vessel. "Leave this to me!" he shouted.

He began firing at the Heartless, hitting them several times. The enemy ship quickly flew out of the way. The three of them could hear shots pounding on the sides of their ship. Clearly no major damage was being done, but it could still be a problem if allowed to continue. Sora turned the ship again, and began moving forward. He made a sharp turn, facing the ship towards its opponent. He fired a few more shots, most of which connected.

The damage they were doing to the Heartless vessel was beginning to show. Dents and a few holes were visible. The enemy seemed to be very quick, however, and Sora was having a hard time avoiding attacks. The two ships chased each other around in circles, each one trying to get in position. "Might want to hold onto something," Sora warned.

The ship rocketed forward, and spun around to the side. He fired a barrage of beams at the Heartless, continuing the attack until the enemy was destroyed. With a small explosion, the battle ended.

Kairi let out a deep sigh. "That was pretty intense," she said.

"Sorry," said Sora, a little embarrassed.

He looked down at their destination through the window. "We should probably land now," he said. "I'll set the shields to activate if any others show up."

He pressed a few buttons. "Guys, there's a circle on the floor in the back," he said, pointing to the spot he was talking about. "Just stand there. I'll be there in a sec."

Riku and Kairi did as he asked, and Sora joined them shortly after. With the press of a button, the three of them were sent to the world below.

* * *

 

The trio found themselves on the edge of an open field, with tall grass reaching up to their knees. There were a few trees visible from where they stood. The sun was low in the sky, suggesting that it had risen not long before. A few farmhouses could be seen a ways away. The place looked peaceful, showing no signs of Heartless. In fact, it was awfully quiet. The only living things that they could see were a flock of birds flying high above them.

Kairi looked around. "What now?" she asked.

She looked down, and saw a faint green glow circling around the place they stood. "And what's this?"

"It's our way back to the ship," explained Sora. "We'll come back here when we want to report to the castle. No one else can see or use it."

Riku glanced over at the barns in the distance. "Looks like this isn't the city," he remarked. "I wonder why we landed here."

Sora shrugged. "It always seems to take you where you need to go. There must be something important around here, so we should probably start looking. Maybe someone can tell us what this place is called."

With Sora in the lead, the trio started off in the direction of the buildings. If there were houses, then there might be a town nearby. And if that was the case, there'd be plenty of people who'd be able to tell them about this world. Any information they could find would be valuable. After all, this place was entirely new to them.


	4. Strangers Meet

Winry pulled the shopping list out of her pocket. She already had most of what she needed. Looked like all she had left was produce. She made her way over to the other side of the store, going over the list in her head.

She picked up some carrots, apples, and lettuce, and put them in her basket. There hadn't been much on the list, so she wouldn't have to carry very much. It would be an easy walk home. She took some potatoes, and walked over to the counter. After paying for the groceries and having a brief chat with the cashier, she left the store.

Outside, things weren't any different than they'd been when she'd gone inside. The morning sun was warm, and a few wispy clouds were the only obstructions to the expanse of sky above. A few people were on the small street, but it was far from crowded.

And then Winry noticed something. A ways to the right, there were three people standing by the side of the road, looking confused – two boys and a girl. They looked to be about her age, give or take a few years. She'd never seen them before, and she was sure she would have remembered them if she had. They were unusual looking, dressed in strange and unnecessarily complicated clothes.

One of the boys wore a shirt and short-sleeved jacket, along with puffy shorts and shoes that looked a few sizes too big for him. His hair was brown, styled in long spikes. Winry couldn't imagine how he'd managed to make it look like that. The girl wore a pink and white minidress with matching high-topped shoes. Her hair was mid-length and very red. The other boy wore baggy blue pants, along with a yellow and white vest. His hair was about the same length as the girl's, and was a striking silver-white. Winry had never heard of anyone his age having hair that color.

The three of them were talking, but seemed to be lost. Winry wasn't sure what to do. She could help if they needed to go somewhere, but who were they? For a moment, she thought about what to do. Finally, she gave in to her curiosity and approached them

* * *

 

"Hey, you three!"

Sora turned around and saw a girl walking towards them. She had long blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, and wore a simple outfit consisting of a t-shirt and worn out pants. She looked to be about Riku's age, maybe slightly older. She was holding a basket full of groceries. Riku and Kairi turned around to look at her as well.

She kept walking until she was standing right in front of him. "You three aren't from around here, are you?" she remarked. "Are you lost?"

For a moment, Sora just stared at her, looking startled. The girl narrowed her eyes. "Something wrong?" she asked.

Kairi shook her head. "No, it's nothing. You're right, we're not from around here. Are you?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah, I am. I live with my grandma not too far from here. I know this place well, so I can help if there's something you're looking for."

Sora looked over at his friends, unsure of what to say. Then he looked back at the girl. "I have a question," he asked. "This might sound stupid, but what's this place called?"

The girl gave him a strange look. "This town?"

"No, like the whole place. Does it have a name?"

The girl stared at him, giving him a look of disbelief. "If you mean the country, it's called Amestris. But how do you come here without knowing that? It's not like we're right near the border or anything."

Riku answered, thinking quickly. "We're from pretty far away," he said. "We came here looking for something dangerous, and we heard that it was in this country. My friend here seems to have forgotten the name of our location. It's our first time here, after all."

The girl nodded. "I don't know of anything dangerous around here, though," she said, still looking somewhat confused. "Maybe you should look somewhere else."

She took a good look at them. "Y'know, you don't look very prepared for a long trip. I don't see any bags or backpacks. You don't have food or supplies, either. You don't even have a change of clothes, do you?"

The four of them were quiet for a moment. Sora was getting nervous. He'd never been asked this many questions before. Usually, people didn't think twice about how he looked, or why he was there. He had no idea how to act in a situation like this!

The girl sighed. "Tell you what. It's obvious that you have no idea what you're doing. You probably don't even have a place to stay. So how about you come stay at my house for a few days. It might be a little crowded, since I have a couple of friends living there right now. But I'm sure we can figure it out."

She held out her hand. "My name's Winry," she said.

Sora took her hand. "I'm Sora," he said.

He motioned towards the others. "These are my best friends, Riku and Kairi."

"Sora, we can introduce ourselves," said Riku.

Sora looked embarrassed. "Sorry, force of habit. I'm usually the one who does the introductions."

Winry smiled. "Just follow me," she said. "The house isn't too far from here.

* * *

 

She was right. The house wasn't far away, and it didn't take them long to get there. The place looked fairly ordinary, but it seemed nice. There was a faded sign next to the front of the house, but it was too far away for Sora to be sure what it said. "You've got four people living here?" asked Riku. "You sure you have room for three more?"

Winry nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure we do. We've got me, my grandma, and the friends I mentioned. They're brothers, and we've known each other since we were kids. They don't have a place to stay right now, so they've been living here.

"Did you pick them up off the street, too?" Riku joked.

"Of course not! I just said that they're good friends! Besides, they used to have a place to live. But that was a long time ago."

She walked up to the door, and gave it a few knocks. A moment later, someone answered. He was a teenage boy, about the same age as Winry. He had long blonde hair tied back in a loose braid, and wore a plain red shirt with cloth pants. He looked past Winry at Sora, Riku, and Kairi. "Who the hell are these freaks?" he said, loudly.

Winry glared at him. "They're guests, Ed. Don't be rude."

She turned around. "This is Edward," she told them. "Just ignore him, he's always like this.

"What do you mean by that?" challenged Edward.

Sora walked up to the door. "Edward, huh? I'm Sora. Nice to meet you."

Riku and Kairi followed him up to the door. Edward looked confused. "Winry, can you tell me what's going on?" he asked.

"What's going on is that these three are clueless travelers with no place to stay," said Winry. "They'll be staying here for a few days, if we have room."

Suddenly a voice was heard from inside the house. "Is something going on?" someone asked.

A second boy walked up to the doorway. He had the same blonde hair as Edward, but his was cut shorter. He wore similarly casual clothes that looked a little too big for him. He also looked a little younger, probably about the same age as Sora and Kairi. "Winry, are these friends of yours?" he asked.

Winry took a deep breath. "Get to the kitchen table," she said. "We have some explaining to do.

* * *

 

The kitchen was fairly well-kept. Aside from a few dirty dishes here and there, it appeared to be clean. In the middle of a room was a small table with four chairs set around it. Winry pulled over some wooden crates from the corner of the room. "Hope you don't mind using these," she said. "We don't have any other chairs."

So the six of them sat around the table. "Is Grandma here?" asked Winry. "We probably should tell her about this, too."

The second boy stood up. "I'll go get her."

He walked out of the room. "That's Alphonse, Ed's younger brother," explained Winry. "And Ed, these are Sora, Riku, and Kairi."

Kairi smiled. "Nice to meet you."

Edward still didn't seem thrilled about the idea of these strangers staying with them. "Winry, are you sure about this?" he asked. "It doesn't make sense. Why not just find them room at the inn? I'm sure they'd appreciate actually having customers."

"These guys don't seem to have any money," Winry said. "Besides, this won't cost anything. And it's not like we don't have room."

"We don't have room!" groaned Edward. "There aren't any beds left!"

"We'll sleep on the floor," Sora offered. "Do you have blankets or sleeping bags?"

Before Winry could answer, Alphonse returned with an old woman. Her gray hair was tied up in a bun, and she wore a plain dress. She fixed her gaze on the three unfamiliar people in front of them, giving them a stern look. "Where did you find them?" she asked.

"Out in town," explained Winry. "They say they're travelers, but they don't really have a place to stay. I was thinking that they could stay here for a few days. That would be OK, right?"

The woman gave it some thought. Sora, Riku, and Kairi waited for her, all of them feeling uneasy about the situation. What if she didn't want them here? After all, it was an unusual request. Finally, though, she nodded. "They'll have to make themselves useful," she said. "Help with cooking meals, maybe, or clean up the house. Maybe they could sort through all that junk we have in that spare room. But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have guests."

Winry beamed. "Thank you. I'm sure they won't be much trouble."

Alphonse sat down at the table. "So can you tell us why you're here?" he asked.

Sorea looked over at Riku, and then back at the others. "We're looking for something," he said. "We've heard that there's something dangerous around here, and we're here to get rid of it. So far, though, we can't find anything."

"We'll probably do some looking around while we're here," said Riku.

Edward looked skeptical. "That's awfully vague," he pointed out. "Are you sure you didn't just get lost?"

"We know that the things we're looking for are here," said Sora. "We just don't know where to find them."

Kairi spoke up. "I know this all sounds weird, but you've got to trust us," she insisted. "If we can't find what we're looking for, then everyone will be in danger. So please, just let us stay here while we figure things out. I promise that we're here to help."

Edward, Alphonse, and Winry exchanged confused looks. Finally, Edward spoke up. "Do what you need to," he said. "Just try to keep it to yourselves. We don't need any trouble."

Sora thanked him. "Is that everything?" asked Alphonse.

"Pretty much," answered Riku.

"Well, it's good to meet you, anyway. I hope you find what you're looking for."

Winry stood up. "You three follow me," she said. "Let's figure out where you guys should stay."

She left the room, and Sora, Riku, and Kairi followed. Once they were out of earshot, Edward scooted his chair closer to his brother's. "So Al, what do you think?" he said, quietly. "Are they suspicious, or what?"

"I don't know about suspicious, but they do seem strange," replied Alphonse. "They're definitely trying to hide something."

"Do you think it's safe to let them stay here? I mean, we don't have any idea what they're up to."

"True, but they seemed like nice people. I don't think we need to worry too much. That said, we should probably keep an eye on them."

"Sounds like a good idea," muttered Edward.


	5. Getting Settled

Two blankets and one sleeping bag lay on the floor of the spare room. With all the boxes and other objects scattered around the small room, there wasn't much room for three people to sleep. Still, it would have to do. "I hope this is good enough, because it's the best you're going to get. That's all the extra bedding we have," said Winry.

"It'll do," said Sora. "Thanks a lot."

Kairi took a look around the room, and spotted a half-open crate in the corner. It was full of what looked like machine parts. She had no idea what they might do, or what they were doing here. "Hey, Winry, what's this?" she said, pointing to the crate.

Winry looked over at it. "What, the stuff in there? Just some old automail parts. Junk, really, since they're too work-out or broken to be reused."

Kairi gave her a blank look. Winry stared at her, then at Sora and Riku's similarly clueless faces. She sighed. "You don't know what that means, do you? Guess they don't have stuff like that where you're from."

"What are you talking about?" asked Riku.

Winry thought for a moment. She'd never had to explain this to anyone before. "Automail is mechanical limbs, to put it simply," she said. "I have all these parts around because making and repairing it is my job. I'm actually learning from someone else, but he doesn't live around here and right now it's more important to be here for…"

She stopped suddenly. "Sorry," she said. "You probably aren't interested anyway."

"Actually, that sounds pretty cool," said Sora. "But do you really get that many customers here? This town doesn't seem very big. Are there really that many people who need that kind of service?"

"You'd be surprised," said Winry. "Anyway, I'd show you some of my work, but I don't have anyone coming in until…"

She paused. "Actually, I've got an idea. Follow me."

* * *

 

The four of them walked into the living room. At the moment, the only one there was Edward. He was sitting on the sofa, reading a newspaper. "Ed, show me your leg," Winry said, loudly.

Edward gave her a confused look. "Wait, what? Why?"

"Because these three don't know what automail is, and I don't have any ready to show them!"

"Why me? Why not the dog?"

"Because Den is asleep on my bed, and I don't want to wake her up. Just do it. I promise it won't take long."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Fine. Just make it quick."

He pulled up the left side of his pants and took off the sock he was wearing, revealing the metal leg underneath. Sora took a good look at it. "Looks complicated," he said. "Must've taken ages to make."

"Winry, did you make this yourself?" asked Kairi.

"Yes and no. I was a lot younger, so Grandma helped me with it. But then he outgrew that one a few years ago. This one is mostly my work," explained Winry.

Riku nodded. "So Ed, sounds like you were a kid when you lost your leg. What happened, anyway?"

Edward's expression suddenly turned serious. "It was an accident," he said, quietly. "That's all you need to know."

For a moment, there was an awkward silence. "Sorry," said Riku.

Edward shrugged. "It's alright. Just don't ask about it again. It's personal."

Sora wasn't sure what could be so personal about an accident. He'd met lots of people who were eager to brag about every bruise or scar that they got. But this was more serious, and he supposed Edward wasn't that kind of person.

The other boy covered up his leg again and redirected his attention to the newspaper he'd been reading. "Hey Winry, they've got another story about those creatures," he said.

Almost immediately, Sora and Riku went behind the sofa to get a look. "Where?" asked Sora.

Edward gave him a strange look. "What're you so excited about?" he asked.

"What kind of "weird creatures" are we talking?" asked Riku.

"There's been one or two articles about them over the last week or so," said Winry. "Personally, I think it's some kind of trick. No one's managed to get pictures, after all."

"Yeah, but what ARE they?" asked Sora.

"Well, there have been a few sightings in Central of these strange creatures. All of the witnesses describe something different, but they all appeared in the evening. They don't do anything, really, just stare at people. But like I said, I bet it's someone's idea of a joke."

Riku nodded. "What do they look like?"

Winry groaned. "I already told you, everyone says they look different. Why are you so interested all of a sudden? Do you know something?"

"Maybe," said Kairi. "Those things might be what we're looking for."

"You mean the "something dangerous" that you can't tell us anything else about?" said Edward, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "What makes you think this is it? They haven't attacked anyone."

Sora looked a bit uneasy. "Well, we're not sure…" he muttered.

"It's a good place to start, anyway," said Riku. "Can we see that newspaper once you're done with it?"

"Yeah, go ahead," said Edward. "But you'll have to wait a bit. There's some other stuff in here that I wanted to read."

Winry looked over at Riku and Sora. She was curious as to what they and Kairi were up to, but she knew that just asking them wouldn't get her anywhere. Clearly, they had things they wanted to hide. That was just as well – she and her friends had plenty of secrets. As long as the trio's business didn't put anyone in danger, she figured there was no harm in letting them do some investigating. After all, if they were telling the truth, then they were here to help. "If you want, I'll keep an eye on the news for you," she said. "I'll let you know if I see anything relevant."

"Thanks a lot," said Sora.

* * *

 

Sora, Riku, and Kairi walked into the spare room, with Riku closing the door behind them. "Sounds like Heartless to me," said Sora.

Riku wasn't so sure. "If these were Heartless, they'd be doing a lot more than just watching people. Maybe it's something else," he suggested.

"Yeah, but it still sounds about right. We should try to find out more."

After a brief pause in the conversation, Kairi spoke up. "Do you guys think it's odd how Ed acted when Riku asked about his leg?" she asked. "He got all serious all of a sudden."

"Makes sense to me," said Riku. "It's be pretty traumatic, having something like that happen to you, especially if you're a kid. If he doesn't want to talk about it, we shouldn't push him."

Kairi nodded. "Guess so."

Sora was the next to speak. "We should probably take a look around town," he announced. "Maybe we'll find something that can help us."

"Sounds good to me," said Kairi.

She took a moment to think. "Can we do that later, though? I'd kind of like to get to know the people we're staying with. They seem like nice people, you know? Plus, we still know hardly anything about this world. Aren't you two curious about what kind of place this is?"

"Usually, I just figure things out as I go," said Sora. "But in this case, I think it'd be a good idea. We don't want to stick out any more than we already do."

"That's true," agreed Riku.

Sora lay back on the pile of blankets he'd claimed. "When do you think we should report back to the King?" he asked.

"Whenever we can find an excuse to get back to our warp point. We'll have plenty of time," Riku replied.

He glanced over at Kairi. "Why don't we follow her advice," he said. "We'll learn about this place. Then tonight, we'll share everything we've learned. How does that sound?"

Sora sat back up. "Good idea."

Suddenly, the door opened. "What are you doing in here with the door closed?" asked Alphonse.

"Just talking," replied Sora.

"Is it about that thing in the newspaper? I heard that might be what you're looking for."

"Sort of," said Kairi.

"I see. Well, Pinako just finished making lunch, so why don't you come get some?"

Sora grinned. "Sounds great. We'll be right there."

Alphonse walked away. "We can start checking things out after we eat, OK?" said Sora.

The others nodded in agreement, and the two of them left the room.

* * *

 

Lunch turned out to be chicken soup. The seven of them ended up being at the table for a while, and all of them enjoyed the meal. After that, people started leaving slowly, one at a time. Eventually, Sora and Alphonse were the only ones left, with Pinako starting to clean up the kitchen. "I think we're going to need a bigger table," said Sora.

"We don't have a bigger table," Pinako replied. "Unless you and your friends want to sit somewhere else?"

"No, it's alright. We'll manage."

Pinako stopped what she was doing. "By the way, Al, there's a letter for you with the rest of the mail. You should probably see who it's from," she said.

"I will. Thanks for lunch, by the way – it was delicious," replied Alphonse.

Sora followed him to the living room. A stack of mail was visible on a nearby table. "Any idea who the letter is from?" he asked.

"Not sure," said Alphonse.

He picked up the letters, and started to sort through them. It didn't take him long to find the right one. It was a smaller envelope, and it appeared to be made of different paper than the others. Alphonse smiled, and put the rest of the mail back down.

Sora was suddenly curious. "What're you so happy about?"

"It's from a friend. We've been writing to each other lately, but I haven't seen her in a while. The letters always take a long time to get here, though. She's from Xing, and there aren't any easy ways to get there."

Sora nodded. "I see. Where's Xing? Is that very far from here?"

Alphonse gave him a strange look. "You don't know that either? Guess you weren't kidding when you said you lived far away."

"Can you show me a map or something?"

"No need. Xing is the country to the east of Amestris."

Sora gave that some thought. This world really was huge. He'd never needed to know this much about one place before. How would he remember it all?"

He looked over at Alphonse, who'd sat down on the sofa and begun to read the letters. "If your friend lives so far away, how did you meet her?"

Alphonse looked up from the letter. "She was in Amestris looking for something. Ed and I were looking for something else, and eventually we ended up meeting. We thought that she might've been able to help us. We ended up becoming friends during that time."

"Was she able to help you?"

"Not in the way we expected, but yeah. It's a really long story, though, and it's kind of personal. So can we talk about something else?"

"Sure."

Personal, huh? That was the same word that Edward had used before. Was there a connection between the two things? Or maybe he was just looking too much into it.

He thought for a moment, trying to come up with something else to talk about. "So do you and Ed have jobs?" he asked. "I mean, Winry's an automail mechanic, but what do you guys do?"

Alphonse was quiet for a moment. "Ed used to be a State Alchemist, but he had to quit. I've never had a job, but the two of us should probably start thinking about it," he said.

"State Alchemist? So he worked for the government or something?"

"Yeah. He was the youngest person ever to be given the title. But like I said, that's all over with."

"What about the "alchemist" part? What does that mean?

* * *

 

"You don't know what alchemy is?" exclaimed Edward.

He and Riku were sitting on boxes in the spare room. Riku narrowed his eyes. "No, I don't. Could you try and explain?"

Edward shrugged. "I know it's not practiced as much in other countries, but you've really never heard of it?"

There was a brief pause, and he continued. "To put it simply, it's the process of transforming or altering materials. Anyone can do it, but it takes a lot of practice. For example, you could take a pool of water and break it down into hydrogen and oxygen. Or you could take a stone and change its shape."

"Sounds useful. You say you used to be a State Alchemist?"

"Used to be. I'm not any kind of alchemist now."

"You mean you quit?"

"No, I mean I can't do alchemy anymore."

Riku looked surprised. "You said anyone could."

"Yeah, well…I gave up that power for something a lot more important."

Edward paused. "See, alchemy has limits. You can't create something without sacrificing something of equal value. Forget that, and it won't be pretty."

Riku suddenly became curious. What was there that would require someone to make that kind of sacrifice? He tried to think of something, but nothing specific came to mind. He figured it'd be best not to ask about it.

He tried to change the subject. "I forget, did you say that Al is an alchemist, too?" he asked.

"Yeah, he's every bit as good as I was. Sometime you should ask him to show you," said Edward.

Riku nodded. "Sure."

He glanced over at Edward. Suddenly, he noticed something. He moved closer to him, and looked closely at his face. Edward stared back, looking confused and a little annoyed. "What're you looking at?" he said, sharply.

Riku backed away. "Sorry, I just noticed your eyes, that's all. They're unusual."

"Unusual how? The color?"

"Yeah. You don't see too many people with gold eyes."

Edward leaned back against the wall. "They're my father's," he muttered. "I don't think you've noticed, but Al has them too. I've never seen 'em on anyone besides us and him."

Riku gave that a bit of thought. "Does your dad live around here?" he asked.

"He's dead," said Edward. "Died a few months ago."

Riku wasn't expecting that answer. "Oh." he said. "Well…um…I'm sorry to hear that."

"Nah, don't worry. I didn't know him too well. Bastard left us when we were little, and we didn't see him again until within the last year."

Riku was quiet for a while. "That must've been weird. Meeting him again, I mean."

"Yeah. It was weird. Especially because I was expecting a total asshole, and instead…"

Edward trailed off. "He wasn't?" finished Riku.

"Well, let's just say there was more to the guy than I thought."

Another pause. "So how 'bout you?" asked Edward. "You have a family, right?"

Riku figured he could be honest about this. "I'm an only child," he said. "My parents divorced when I was a kid. Right now it's just me and my mom. My dad lives somewhere else, and I don't see him too often."

"I see. I hope she knows you're out on this mission with your friends. You didn't leave without telling her, did you?"

"No, she knows what I'm up to. Hey, can I see that newspaper you were reading before?"

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Winry was almost done showing Kairi her workroom. "This is really cool," said Kairi. "How long have you been doing stuff like this?"

"Since I was about seven or eight," Winry replied. "But I've had an interest in mechanics almost as long as I can remember. Both my parents were doctors, and their jobs always fascinated me too. I guess I ended up mixing both of them."

Kairi smiled. "I'm glad to see that you like your job so much. And seeing everything that you do…well, it's so cool!"

Winry beamed. "Glad you think so. I can't talk about this kind of thing with Ed and Al – they'd just get bored."

"Actually it's not so much the subject itself that interests me. It's just how you are about it. You're so confident. It's like…you know exactly who you are, and what you want to do. You've found your place in the world."

Kairi sighed. "To be honest, I'm a little jealous."

A look of concern appeared on Winry's face. "Why's that?" she asked.

"Well, basically, I don't know where I fit in. I actually wasn't planning to come here with Sora and Riku. I've never done anything like this before. The three of us have been friends as long as I can remember, but now it feels like I'm always the one who gets left behind. I'm not as strong or skilled as they are, and that complicates things.

Kairi paused. "To make things worse, whenever I do try to help, I usually end up getting in the way. I want so badly to be like them, but I don't know if I ever will."

She looked away. "I doubt you know that feeling, but do you get what I'm saying?"

Winry hesitated for a moment. Then she moved closer to Kairi and put an arm around her. Kairi's eyes widened, and for a moment she looked surprised. Soon, though, her face softened. "Thanks," she said.

Winry smiled back. "Kairi, I know exactly what you mean."

"Really?" Kairi asked.

Yeah. I've felt the same way sometimes. When things are happening that you can't control, and the people you care about are right in the middle of it…it's not easy. You feel helpless – like nothing you do matters."

Kairi stared at her. "Y-yeah. Exactly."

"You know what, though? I've learned something over time. You don't have to do the same things as they do. Sometimes it's enough to just be you. Just because you're not out in the middle of everything doesn't mean you're useless. Sometimes people will need a shoulder to lean on – you know, a friend who's always there for support. You can help in your own way. Just do what you can."

Winry grinned. "Besides, to some people, I'm sure the little things you do mean everything. If you want to be like Sora and Riku, that's fine. Just don't feel like you have to. Does that make sense to you?"

Kairi nodded. "Yeah. Thanks a lot. But…how do you understand so well? Did something happen?"

"It's a long story, and I'm not really the one who should tell you," Winry explained. "Maybe another time."

* * *

 

The rest of the day went by quickly. It ended up being a quiet day, one without much activity. Nonetheless, by the time the day turned to night, everyone was ready for it to be over. Eventually, the only ones left awake were Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Winry. Before finally retiring to her room, Winry made sure that the other three were comfortable. "You sure you'll be alright tonight?" she asked.

The visitors lay on the floor. Kairi sat up, halfway into the sleeping bag. Riku and Sora lay on their piles of blankets, with Sora looking half-asleep already. The window was open to let in the cool night air, and the only light came in through the doorway behind Winry. "I think we'll be fine," said Kairi.

"Do you remember where all the rooms are? You know, in case you wake up and need water or something?"

"Yeah. Thanks for everything."

Winry yawned. "Well, if that's all, then I'll see you in the morning. Sleep well."

She closed the door, leaving the others in the dark room. "Sora, can you stay awake just a little longer?" asked Kairi. "We need to talk about what we've learned. Remember?"

Slowly, Sora sat back up. "Can we make this quick?" he groaned. "I'm really tired."

"I'll start," said Riku. "I found out about a practice called alchemy. The way Ed described it made it sound like a form of magic, but there seems to be more to it than that. Al is an alchemist, and Ed used to be. For some reason, Ed can't do it anymore. He acted like he gave up the power voluntarily, but he didn't say why."

"Anything else?" asked Kairi.

"Yeah. The brothers' father died a few months ago. I haven't asked about their mother, but if she's alive she's clearly not living here."

Sora spoke next. "Al has a pen pal in a country called Xing," he said. "It's to the east of this one, but it's hard to get there. He says that he met this girl in person, but nowadays all they have are letters. She helped them get something they were looking for. Also, Ed used to work for the government as an alchemist somehow."

"The Fullmetal Alchemist," said Riku. "That's what he said they called him."

"That's a pretty cool name," said Sora. "Hey Riku, did you get a look at that newspaper?"

"Yeah, I left it in this room. You two can read it tomorrow. Kairi, what'd you learn?"

"Not much. Mostly Winry and I just talked. She did imply that she and the guys had been through some hard stuff in the past, but she didn't go into any detail."

"Interesting," Sora remarked.

A brief pause went by. "I think there's a lot that these people aren't telling us," said Riku. "Regardless, I think it's a good thing we ended up with them. They might not know anything about the Heartless, but I'm sure they'll be able to help."

"Maybe we should leave their past alone," said Kairi. "After all, we're not being completely honest either."

"We don't have a choice," Sora said, firmly. "The King made it clear that we can't tell anyone about the other worlds. It's probably better that they don't know."

"True," said Riku.

Sora lay back down. "Can we sleep now?" he asked. "I can barely keep my eyes open."

Riku chuckled. "Alright. Good night, Sora."

"I think we should sleep too," said Kairi. "Hopefully, we'll find out more tomorrow. We never did look around town like we said we would."

"Tomorrow, then?" asked Riku.

"Yeah."


	6. First Report

The next morning, Riku was the first of the trio to wake up. It was very quiet, and the sun was just beginning to rise. A few rays of sunlight shone in through the window, filling the room with a pale light. Riku stood up and walked towards the door, stepping carefully across the cluttered floor and around his sleeping friends. He'd gone to sleep wearing the same clothes he'd arrived in, so there was no need to get dressed. He slowly opened the door, and walked out of the room.

He made his way down the hall towards the bathroom. He'd almost reached the door when it swung open. Edward walked out, looking like he was still very tired. His long hair was loose instead of braided like it had been yesterday. He was still half-naked, wearing only a pair of cloth shorts. Presumably, this was what he'd been sleeping in.

He quickly noticed Riku standing nearby. "Morning," he said. "You're up early. I'll probably be sleeping another hour or two, so don't expect any company."

Suddenly, his expression became serious. He looked Riku in the eye. "Hey, what're you staring at?"

Riku had immediately noticed a large, thick line of scarring that covered Edward's right shoulder. "It's that scar," he said. "Looks like you were hurt pretty badly there. How'd that happen?"

Edward looked surprised, and a little uneasy. "Why do you care?" he asked. "I'm sure you've been hurt plenty of times, but you don't see me asking about every scratch you have."

"That's pretty big for a scratch, Ed. It almost looks like someone tore your arm off."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because the scar goes all the way around. If it'd been cut, it would just be on one side."

Edward just glared at Riku, saying nothing and looking frustrated. Riku put his hands up in front of him. "If you don't want to tell me, it's fine," he said." "It's probably none of my business anyway."

For a moment, the two of them faced one another, saying nothing. "Yeah, that's right," said Edward.

"Understood," said Riku.

With that, Riku walked into the bathroom, and Edward went back to his room.

* * *

 

For a while, Riku was the only one awake. Within the next few hours, though, everyone else followed. No one wanted to make breakfast, so everyone just made their own meals. These ranged from makeshift fruit salads to toast with peanut butter.

Alphonse had been the last to wake up. When Kairi commented on this, he said that he usually slept in. "Besides," he added, "I don't like being the only one up."

One of the first things that Sora did after waking up was take a look at the article in yesterday's newspaper. Unfortunately, it didn't have much in the way of useful information. It talked about a young couple coming home from a restaurant, and the woman noticing something by the sidewalk near a storm drain. It was described as a shadowy and somewhat humanoid figure with glowing yellow eyes. Sora knew that description well. But it also said that the creature just stood and watched the couple. When the man tried to get closer, it vanished into the shadows. That was unusual. Most Heartless would have attacked the man when he'd approached. They probably would have chased after the couple rather than just sitting there and looking at them. Sora couldn't understand it. These were obviously Heartless, so why were they being so passive?

Could it be that these Heartless were more intelligent than usual? Or was it something else? Was there a larger, more powerful one calling the shots? That was possible. But if that was it, then where was it hiding? Wouldn't it be difficult for any sufficiently sized Heartless to stay hidden in a big city?

In any case, this would require some thought. It would probably be best to get Riku and Kairi's input on the situation. Maybe they would have better ideas than he would.

It didn't him long to find them. They were sitting outside on the front porch, talking to Alphonse. When Sora walked out the door, Kairi turned to face him. "Hey Sora, Al was just about to show us an example of alchemy," she said, cheerfully. "Wanna see?"

"Sure," Sora replied.

He looked over at Alphonse. "What kind were you thinking?" he asked.

"Nothing too fancy. I'll probably just make something small out of the rock in the ground."

Alphonse stood up, walked a few feet away, and kneeled down on the ground. "You ready?"

Riku looked at Sora, then at Kairi. "I think so," he answered.

"Got it. Just watch."

He took a deep breath, and waited a few seconds. Then he clapped his hands once, and quickly pressed them down into the dirt. Blue sparks exploded from around the spot where he'd placed them. Almost immediately, a small spire of rock began growing out of the ground. It grew taller, and then began branching out. Within moments, a rough structure had formed. It resembled a tiny tree without leaves.

Alphonse stood up, and looked over at the trio. "Not much, but it's just an example," he said. "What do you think?"

"Cool!" exclaimed Sora.

He ran over to the "tree," and began to examine it, still looking excited. Riku seemed impressed as well. "Thanks for showing us," he said. "Seems like a useful sort of ability. I just wish we could've seen more."

Allphonse looked a little embarrassed. "Maybe another time," he suggested. "I don't feel like doing anything flashy right now. I mean, it's not like I'm trying to show off."

Kairi, however, seemed a little confused. "Didn't' you say that you need a circle to perform transmutations?" she asked.

For a moment, Alphonse seemed a little surprised. "Right," he said. "Usually, you do. But under certain circumstances, it's possible to just do what I did."

Suddenly, the door opened, and Edward walked out. "What're you guys up to?" he asked.

He quickly noticed the stone tree. "Showing these three what you can do, huh?" he asked. "Kinda underwhelming, don't you think?"

"Maybe a little," said Alphonse. "Either way, it was enough to give them an idea of how it works."

Just then, Sora remembered what he'd wanted to say. "Riku, Kairi, let's go look around," he said.

"Look around for what?" asked Edward.

"Just go for a walk. Take a look around town," replied Sora. "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. Just curious," Edward said.

Kairi stood up. "Sounds good," she said. "Are there any errands that need to be done? We could do that while we're out."

Alphonse started to head for the door. "I'll ask. How long a walk are you thinking?"

"Probably a few hours," answered Sora. "No longer than three."

"Sounds OK with me."

* * *

 

A few minutes later, the three of them were walking off into the distance. "Are you still worried about them, Brother?" asked Alphonse.

"Just a little. It's still weird how little they know about anything," said Edward.

He looked out at the nearby buildings. "But they seem friendly enough, and they haven't caused any trouble. I don't see any reason to worry unless they start acting up."

"Yeah. Still, I wonder where they're from? Must be a long way away."

"Obviously."

Edward suddenly looked worried, remembering that morning's conversation. "Riku noticed the scar on my shoulder this morning," he said.

"The one where your automail port was?"

"Yeah. I didn't tell him anything, but I don't think he was satisfied. What do you think we should do if they keep digging things up?"

Alphonse took a moment to think. "Don't lie, that's for sure," he suggested. "If we lie to them, they'll find out eventually. We don't want them to think we're untrustworthy."

He paused. "Then again, they don't need to know our whole life's story. I really don't know what to do."

The two brothers stood on the porch, saying nothing. "I guess if something comes up, we'll just figure it out then," said Edward.

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Sora, Riku, and Kairi had started to wander around town. It was late morning by now, and the sun was getting warmer. It seemed like a quiet day. Few people were on the streets. Presumably, they were all inside and didn't have much to do.

The street they were on at the moment seemed to be one of the larger ones. Most of the roads were paved, but a few of the smaller ones weren't. This one had several shops on the side, as well as the occasional restaurant or other establishment. A few cars were parked on the side of the road. Sora couldn't help but notice the old-fashioned designs of these vehicles. Aside from a few things that his own world didn't have, this world seemed to be a ways behind in terms of technology. What it did have was certainly enough to be comfortable, though, so he didn't mind. At least they had running water…and indoor plumbing.

The trio hadn't noticed any sights of Heartless here. They hadn't had the chance to ask anyone about the news articles, either. They'd seen only a few people on the street, all of whom seemed busy. "I still don't see why the Heartless are being so quiet," said Riku. "It's so unusual."

"Riku, we've been over this. I'm sure there's some reason for it," said Sora.

"Obviously. But I can't imagine what."

Kairi looked around the area. "Hey, I think we're getting closer to where we came into town," she noted. "Maybe we should tell the King what's happened so far."

"Probably a good idea," agreed Riku. "We ought to let him know about what we've heard. Maybe he can help us figure out what to do next."

They kept walking, eventually turning onto another, smaller street. The most noticeable thing on this street was a large shop on one side. As they got closer, they could tell that it was a bookstore. Just as they were about to pass the door, it opened suddenly. A young man burst out onto the sidewalk. The trio stepped back quickly, just in time to avoid being hit by the doors. The man ran a ways forward, and then looked back at them. Suddenly, he looked embarrassed. "Sorry," he said. "I'm just in a bit of a hurry. Gotta get these books home so I can wrap them up before my wife gets back. It's her birthday."

"It's alright," said Kairi.

The man's expression changed again, this time looking as if he'd suddenly remembered something. "Oh yeah!" he said, loudly.

He looked at Sora. "For some reason, I didn't get a newspaper today," he explained. "You wouldn't happen to have any spare change, would you? I'm all out"

Sora shook his head. "Sorry, I don't," he said.

"Not even a little?"

"Nope. If I did, I'd give you some, but I really don't have any."

The man shrugged. "I guess I'll just wait for tomorrow, then."

He started to walk away. "Hey, wait," said Riku.

The man turned around. "Yes?"

"Have you seen those articles about creatures in Central? Those stories are of interest to us. Do you know anything about them?"

The man paused to think. "Well, no. All I know is what the articles have said. I don't know anyone who's seen them. Personally, I'm not interested. I'm more interested in what'll happen with the government, what with most of the people at the top having been replaced. There are rumors about major reform in the future, but nothing's been confirmed."

He paused. "Sorry, am I talking too much?"

Sora, knowing nothing about Amestrian politics, quickly changed the subject. "So you don't know anything about the creatures?" he asked.

"Not really, I'm afraid. Maybe you'd have better luck asking people in Central. No one around here has seen them. If that was the case, everyone would be talking about it. News travels quickly in places like this. To be honest, most of my friends think the whole thing is a hoax. After all, no one's been able to get a picture of the creatures."

"I see," said Kairi. "Well, thanks anyway."

The man walked away, and so did the trio. "I guess we can't expect your average person to know much," said Riku, a little disappointed.

Sora sighed. "Guess you're right. I wonder if this "Central" place is far away?"

"It's the capital of Amestris, as well as its largest city," said Kairi. "At least, that's what Winry said. But I don't know how far away it is, or how to get there."

"I bet it's that city we saw from the ship," said Sora. "But yeah, it's probably too far for us to get there alone."

"Guess we'll ask about it when we get back to the house," Kairi said.

Suddenly, she noticed something. She pointed ahead. "I remember that building!" she exclaimed. "It was one of the first ones I saw when we found this town. Then there's that dirt road, and the field is somewhere along there…"

She looked at the others. "We're not far from our warp point!"

"In that case, there's no reason not to give Mickey an update," said Riku. "Let's head over.

* * *

 

After walking a while longer, the trio reached the field. A column of faint green light quickly became visible. "There it is!" announced Sora.

He ran towards the warp point, with Rku and Kairi right behind him. Once all three had entered the circle, they were quickly sent back to the ship.

The first thing that Sora did was walk over to the control panel. Riku followed him. "You should check to see if the shields were ever activated," he suggested. "Remember? We set them to go up if any Heartless tried to attack the ship."

Sora followed Riku's advice. He typed something into a small keyboard, and looked at the screen above it. After a few seconds, a list of information came up. Sora looked over the records for a moment. "Doesn't look like the ship was attacked at all," he said.

Kairi joined the others by the controls. "Maybe it's because the ship was empty?" she suggested. "I mean, they're attracted to the darkness in people's hearts, right? So if there were no people, they wouldn't have the desire to attack."

"You might be right," replied Riku. "Anyway, let's go ahead and contact the castle. We should probably get back to the house soon, so try to make it quick."

Sora nodded in agreement. He punched something else into the keyboard, and pushed a switch. A large screen slid out from the control panel. After a few seconds of static, an image of Queen Minnie appeared. At first she didn't seem to notice them, but soon she realized what was going on. "Hello," she said, looking a little surprised. "Good to see you."

Kairi waved. "Hi. Could you get the King?" she asked. "We're here to give you an update on what's happened."

Minnie smiled. "Of course."

She went off screen for a few minutes, and the trio waited. A few sounds could be heard in the background, but no one could tell what they were. Soon, Minnie appeared onscreen again, followed by Mickey. He smiled warmly. "Good to see you," he said cheerfully. "You're here to report?"

"Yeah," said Sora.

"Well then, go ahead."

Sora began to explain their situation. He began with the brief skirmish they'd had with the Heartless vessel before they'd landed. From there, he described going into town, meeting Winry, and being invited to stay with her. He talked about the others, trying to describe what their new friends were like. "Winry's really friendly, unless you get on her bad side," he explained. "Ed was kind of suspicious of us at first, and he's not always easy to talk to. I can tell he's a good person, though. Al seems really nice. He seems a lot more calm and patient than Ed. I haven't seen too much of Pinako, but she doesn't mind us being there as long as we don't cause trouble."

Mickey nodded. "Gotcha. Sounds like you got lucky, finding people like them. You haven't told them why you're really here, have you?"

"Of course not," said Riku. "We told them that we're from somewhere far away, and we're looking for something dangerous. We haven't said anything about the nature of our mission."

"Good. We don't want people around there finding out too much."

Mickey paused to think, while Minnie continued. "So what do you know about this world?" she asked. "What's it like?"

"It's called Amestris," said Sora. "At least, that's the part we're in. I don't know how it's run or anything. Some guy mentioned that there have been a lot of changes recently. I guess a lot's been going on."

Riku continued. "There's a power called alchemy that seems to be important here. At least, it's significant enough that their government has alchemists working for them."

"Really?" replied Minnie. "What kind of power is it?"

"It can be used to alter, manipulate, or transform matter, apparently," explained Riku. "But you can't make one thing without sacrificing something equivalent first. You can't just create something from nothing. I don't know too much, really. I'm just remembering what Ed told me."

"Are you sure it isn't magic?" asked Mickey.

"If it is, it's not like the magic we're used to. There are a lot of rules, and it seems to be just as much scientific as it is magical. You really have to know what you're doing. I don't think it's the same."

Mickey suddenly looked serious. "You haven't mentioned the Heartless yet," he reminded them. "How bad is it?"

"Actually, we haven't seen a single one," said Kairi.

Mickey looked very surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah. We've heard about people seeing them in the city, but it doesn't sound like they've attacked anyone. We're still trying to figure it out," Sora explained.

"That's unusual," murmured Mickey.

He took a deep breath, and then continued. "Sora, Riku, Kairi, keep looking around," he said. "Find out what you can. If the Heartless are this quiet, then there's gotta be a reason for it. You have to figure this out before they make their move. Got it?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah. We'll make sure that Amestris stays safe. Just leave it to us."

Mickey smiled. "If that's all, then you should go back," he said. "You don't want your new friends to worry about you."

"Understood," said Riku.

After everyone said goodbye, the screen went black. "They're right," said Kairi. "Let's go."


	7. A Request

When the trio left the ship, they found that the warp point had changed locations. This time, they could see the back of the house a few hundred feet in front of them. Kairi gave Sora a surprised look. "Did you tell it to do that?" she asked.

"No, I didn't," Sora answered, confused.

"It's pretty convenient," remarked Riku. "It'll be a lot easier to get back to the ship now."

Sora motioned towards the house. "C'mon, let's go back."

He ran towards the house with his friends following close behind. When they reached the porch, Sora noticed that the door was open. He figured that it was to let in some air. After all, it was getting pretty warm.

The three of them walked through the door and into the living room. Pinako was sitting on the sofa, and next to her was a black and white dog with an automail leg. They'd seen the dog around a few times yesterday, and it didn't seem to mind them.

A spread of cards lay on the table in front of Pinako, and she seemed to be deep in thought. It looked like she was in the middle of a game of solitaire. Sora waited a moment, and then spoke up. "We're back," he said. "Where are the others?"

Pinako looked up from her cards, and turned towards him. "Winry's taking a bath, and the boys are eating lunch," she replied. "You were gone a long time. If you'd taken much longer, someone would probably have gone to find you."

"Sorry," said Riku. "We got lost on the way back."

He walked over to the side of the table. "By the way, you can move that seven of spades over here."

* * *

 

Sora found Edward and Alphonse in the kitchen. "Any lunch left?" he asked.

Alphonse smiled. "You're back," he pointed out. "How was the walk?"

"It was nice," said Sora. "It's a great day out there."

Edward pointed to the cabinet. "We made sandwiches. If you want some, make your own."

Sora went over to the cabinet, and took out a loaf of bread. As he started to choose his ingredients, Edward spoke up again. "So what's your home like anyway?" he asked. "I know you're not from around here. Is it anything like this?"

Sora gave that some thought. He figured he could talk about this, at least a little bit. "It's pretty different," he said. "I live on an island. There's a whole chain of them out in the middle of the ocean. It's warmer there, and I can walk to the beach from my house."

He tried to think of something else to say. "It's quiet, too. Not much happens. My island is one of the smaller ones, so there are only a few towns. There's this other tiny island nearby. No one lives there, but it's a great place to go with friends."

Edward and Alphonse were quiet for a moment. Then Alphonse looked over at Sora. "The only place I can think of like that is to the far south. There's a chain of islands there. I've never been there, of course, but I've heard about it. Is that where you're from?"

Sora was quiet a moment. Then he nodded. "Yeah. My friends and I came from there."

He didn't know if it was a good idea to lie to them, but he figured it would be better if they could connect him to a location from this world. He was lucky they knew about a place like that.

"That's a long way away," remarked Edward. "You really came that far?"

"Yeah. It took time, but we did."

The room was silent for a little while. "So…can you tell us what the ocean's like, then?" asked Alphonse.

Sora looked shocked. "Wait. You've never seen it?"

"Amestris is landlocked," Edward explained. "We've got unresolved conflict with countries on three sides. It's not exactly easy to leave. We've never actually seen the ocean except in pictures."

Sora had a hard time imagining that. He'd grown up being able to go to the beach whenever he wanted. It wasn't anything special to him. It seemed crazy that there were people who'd never done that even once.

He didn't want to have to tell any more lies, so he quickly changed the subject. "So, how long have you lived here?" he asked.

* * *

 

A few hours later, the doorbell rang. Riku put down his hand of cards and walked over to answer it. When he opened the door, he saw two people – a man and a woman. The man was tall, with short black hair. His gaze was intense, and something about him made Riku nervous. The woman had blonde hair that was pinned to the back of her head. Both looked to be in their late twenties, and both wore the same blue uniform.

The man gave Riku a confused look. He turned and looked at the woman. "Are you sure this is the right house?" he asked.

"Positive," she replied. "It's the same place as last time, isn't it?"

After an awkward silence, Riku spoke up. "I don't live here – I'm just a guest. Is there something you need?"

The man nodded. "Yes. Could we speak with the Elric brothers? We have some important business to discuss."

* * *

 

Riku walked into the kitchen, where Kairi had since joined the conversation. "Ed, Al, there's some people here to see you," he announced. "They say it's important."

Edward turned around. "Wait, what? Who is it?"

Before he could say anything else, the man and woman walked into the room. "Long time no see, Fullmetal," the man said. "Looks like you've made some new friends."

Edward looked shocked. "Colonel?" he exclaimed. "What're you doing here?"

He frowned. "And don't call me Fullmetal, okay? It doesn't make sense anymore."

A small smile appeared on the man's face. "Looks like you haven't changed," he said.

Then he looked serious. "I'm here to ask a favor of you and your brother. But that can wait a little while. Do you have a place we can sit?"

Sora stared at the two people, looking confused. "Who are you?" he asked. "Ed, you know them?"

Edward smirked. "You heard him. Might want to introduce yourselves."

The man motioned towards himself. "Colonel Roy Mustang," he said.

He pointed to the woman. "This is my associate, Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. We know the Elric brothers from Edward's time as a State Alchemist."

Riza looked over at Alphonse. "You're in much better shape than you were when I last saw you," she remarked. "How have you been feeling?"

"A lot better. Still kind of getting used to myself," said Alphonse.

Kairi gave him a funny look. "Huh?"

Riza's attention shifted to Sora and Kairi. "So, who are you?" she asked. "I don't believe we've met."

"I…I'm Sora," said Sora, nervously. "That's Riku, and this is Kairi. The three of us are staying here for now."

"I see," said Roy.

Suddenly, Winry walked into the room. She quickly noticed Roy and Riza, and jumped a little. "Hello," she said, surprised. "What are you here for?"

She looked around the room. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Not really," said Edward.

He turned and looked at Roy. "So what was it you wanted to say?"

* * *

 

A few minutes later, the eight of them plus Pinako were gathered in the living room. "Is it alright if everyone hears this?" asked Alphonse. "Would you rather we talked in private?"

"That's up to you," said Roy. "It's not confidential, but if you'd rather keep it to yourselves – "

"It's OK," said Edward. "If it's important, then we all should know.

"Even us?" asked Kairi.

"I doubt that'll be a problem," said Winry.

She looked at Roy and Riza. "Right?"

"Fine with me," said Roy.

He took a deep breath. "Have you been reading the papers lately?"

Edward rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Why?"

"Have you heard about the strange creatures that have been seen in Central?"

Sora, Riku and Kairi exchanged worried looks. "What about them?" asked Alphonse. "Did something happen?"

"I'm afraid so," said Roy. "Somebody's been killed."

The room became silent. Sora went pale. The Heartless got to someone? Did this mean there'd be a full-on invasion soon? He opened his mouth to speak, but Riku put his hand on his shoulder and glared at him. Reluctantly, Sora remained quiet, leaning back into the sofa.

"Someone's dead?" Winry repeated. "But they've never attacked anyone before!"

"Who was it?" asked Edward. "And under what circumstances?"

"He was a sanitation worker, and he was working in the sewers with a partner when it happened," said Riza.

"According to his partner, the creatures appeared out of the shadows and began to chase after him," continued Roy. "The man fell behind and the creatures went right for hom. The witness claimed that one of them stuck its hand into his chest, but left no wound. The man's body vanished, leaving behind only a glowing, heart-shaped object that disappeared after a few seconds. Our witness says that he barely made it to the exit and that the creatures did not pursue him once he'd reached the surface."

Edward gave Roy a funny look. "You're joking, right? That doesn't make any sense."

"The survivor was terrified and badly injured when he was found," Riza added. "It's possible that his story is not entirely true."

After a brief silence, Winry spoke up. "He just…disappeared?" she asked.

"A quick search was conducted in the area afterwards. They couldn't find a body."

Edward looked grim. "So what do we have to do with this?"

"We'd like you and Alphonse to help us investigate," said Roy.

Winry's mouth dropped open. "Why?" she demanded. "Ed doesn't work for you anymore. You have no right to spring this on us. Besides, isn't there someone else you can get to help you?"

"We don't want to cause too much commotion," explained Roy. "For that matter, the Elric brothers have worked in other unusual situations, and I know we can trust them."

He looked at Winry, and she glared back at him. "It's true that I can't make them do this. If they decide against it, we'll find someone else to do the job. However, I would very much appreciate their support. I hope you can understand. " he continued

Sora was curious. Other unusual situations? It seemed like the brothers really did have an interesting history. Maybe he could ask about it later? He hoped they'd be willing to talk about it.

Edward gave it some thought. It was easy to tell by looking at him that he was unsure of what to do. Finally, though, he spoke up. "I'm alright with it," he said.

Winry sighed. "Ed, you're not an alchemist anymore. Don't forget that."

"How could I?" replied Edward. "Doesn't mean I'm helpless. I can still defend myself if I have to."

He glanced over at his brother, who also seemed to be weighing his options. "Al, what do you think?"

"If we don't do something, other people could be in danger," Alphonse said. "Besides, Colonel Mustang is right. Sending in soldiers would just make people nervous. I'd be willing to go, given the circumstances."

"Aren't there police or someone else that could investigate this?" asked Riku. "Is it really necessary for the military to get involved?"

"Good question," said Roy. "But the police handle ordinary crimes committed by humans. I don't know of any humans that can appear out of the shadows and cause a man to disappear without a trace. Clearly, we're dealing with something else here – something that is enough of a threat for us to get involved."

He paused, and turned to face Edward and Alphonse. "If you're willing to work with us on this, then I do have a few things I'd like to discuss in private," he said.

Edward nodded, his expression serious. "In that case, let's go to the spare room. It's kind of messy, but no one will hear us."

Riku shrugged. "Just don't mess anything up. It took a while to make enough room for us to sleep."

Edward stood up. "C'mon, I'll show you the way."

He started walking towards the room. Alphonse followed, and Roy and Riza went after them. After they'd left, Winry remembered something. "Hey, you three," she remarked. "Didn't you say that these creatures were the reason you came to Amestris?"

Sora looked surprised. "Probably. Why?"

"If you know about what they are, or how to stop them, please let the others know. You might be able to help."

Sora glared at Riku. "I wanted to, but this guy wouldn't let me!"

Riku rolled his eyes. Sora stood up and took a few steps towards the stairs. "I'll go and let them know."

Before he could go anywhere, though, Kairi stopped him. "Sora, this is private!" she reminded him. "Don't interrupt."

"But Kairi –"

"If they don't want you to hear, then you should respect that," Kairi said, firmly. "Wait until they're done."

Sora sighed loudly. "Fine," he muttered."

He walked back to the sofa, and flopped back down. Riku leaned back and tried to be patient. The Heartless had clearly become a threat. It was their job to stop them. But how were they going to do that without letting their secret slip? Half-truths would only be believable for so long. What would they do when their story began to fall apart? Mickey had said not to tell anyone about the other worlds unless "absolutely necessary." What would happen if they did have to explain? Would their new friends believe them? Riku could only hope that everything would go smoothly.

* * *

 

"You weren't kidding when you said this place was a mess," muttered Roy.

The four of them had managed to find places to sit among the boxes and blankets. "Is this where your guests are staying?" asked Riza.

"It's the only place we've got room," explained Alphonse.

"Who are they, anyway? I've never seen anyone dress like that. Where are they from?" Riza continued

"They're not from around here," said Edward. "Sora says they're from the islands south of Aerugo. Either way, they're kind of clueless. Winry found them around town, and invited them to stay. They've been here about two days now."

"I see," said Roy."

He paused. "Like I said, it's clear that we're not dealing with anything mundane. I've never heard of alchemy that could cause something like this. Any ideas?"

Edward gave it some thought. "The only think I've ever seen that could use shadows is Pride. But we took care of him, so it's got to be something different."

"Mrs. Bradley is raising the remnant of Pride that you gave her," said Roy. "He's gotten to be about the size of a normal baby, with the only unusual feature being a reddish spot on his forehead. It could probably be passed off as a birthmark. He hasn't shown any of Pride's powers, and there's no sign that he has his old memories either. I doubt he has anything to do with this."

"Even so, we should probably pay her a visit," suggested Riza. "We can't take any chances."

Roy nodded. "You're probably right."

He looked over at the brothers. "Our plan is to investigate near the site of the incident. We're going to talk to people nearby, as well as to others who've seen the creatures. Depending on how things go, we might try to investigate the places where they've been seen. If we do that, you'll obviously have to be prepared for anything. We'll take the train to Central, and we'll probably be there for most of the day. Depending on what we find, we might need you to return later."

Edward nodded. "Got it."

Suddenly, Alphonse looked excited. He looked straight at Edward. "Hey, do you remember when Sora and the others found out about the articles in the paper? They said it might be the "something dangerous" that they're here to find. Maybe we should ask about it."

Edward gave it some thought. "They haven't exactly been open about their mission. Do you really think they'll tell us?"

"Did you see the look on Sora's face when he heard someone was dead? He looked horrified. I don't think any of them are the type to do nothing when people's lives are on the line."

"You're probably right about that. They're secretive, sure, but they seem too nice to just ignore this."

"Are you sure it's safe to pin our hopes on people we barely know?" asked Riza, sounding skeptical.

"Of course not," said Roy, coolly. "We'll investigate regardless of what they say."

He looked up, and continued. "My biggest concern is the nature of the attackers. Now that the homunculi are gone, I can't think of anything that could be responsible. We're clearly dealing with something unfamiliar, and that makes it all the more difficult."

He took a deep breath. "I'm sure you realize the risks involved in this mission. We still can't say for sure what we're getting into. It's not too late to back out."

"I'm still in," said Edward. "As long as these things are out there, everyone is in danger. It's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Agreed," said Alphonse.

* * *

 

As soon as the group returned to the living room, Sora stood up. "I want to come along," he announced.

"Good, because I've heard you know what we're up against," said Roy.

He gave Sora a stern look. "How dangerous are they?" he asked.

"Extremely. Let's just say you're lucky they've been as quiet as they have. If they're not stopped, your whole country could be in danger," said Sora.

Kairi looked nervous. "Sora, are you really going through with this?" she asked.

"Yeah. Don't worry. You know me – I'll be fine."

Riku looked over at Roy and Riza. "Sora isn't exaggerating," he said. "But we've dealt with them before. I'm sure you'll all figure something out."

Riza looked in Sora's direction for a while, talking a good look at the boy. "Can you fight?" she asked.

"Of course!" Sora said, cheerfully. "Don't worry about that."

"I'll take your word for it," said Riza.

Sora was glad that she didn't ask about his weapon of choice. He wasn't sure what kind of reaction he'd get if he summoned his Keyblade.

Riza looked at Winry and Pinako. "We'll leave for the station tomorrow morning," she announced. "In the meantime, the Colonel and I will be staying at the inn in town. Those of you who are coming should expect us at about 8:00. Make sure you're ready."

"Got it," said Alphonse."

Once the two had left, Pinako stood up. "You'd better be careful," she said, sternly. "Come back alive."

"Of course," said Sora.

Winry walked over to Edward. "It's been a while since I've checked your leg," she reminded him. "Come up to the workroom after dinner. I need to make sure there aren't any problems before you leave tomorrow."

Edward didn't seem thrilled about this, but he agreed to it. Once everyone else had left the room, Riku sat down next to Sora. "Don't do anything stupid," he warned. "If you let anything slip, you'll be the one to explain everything to them."

"Relax. I won't tell them anything."

"You said you can fight. I mean, you can, but wouldn't it be just a little unusual to summon a weapon from nowhere? Try not to use it if you can help it."

"No one else has ever found the Keyblade suspicious!"

"Sora, things are different here. You know that. Try not to attract attention."

Kairi suddenly spoke up. "He can tell them about the Heartless, right?" she asked. "I mean, as long as he doesn't mention other worlds, we should be fine."

Riku shrugged. "I guess that'd be alright."

He stood up. "Anyway, be sure not to stay up too late. You'll have to get up pretty early tomorrow, and you don't want to be tired if you have to fight Heartless."

With that, he left the room as well. Sora began to follow, but then he noticed Kairi. She looked sad all of a sudden, her hands on her cheeks and her eyes pointed towards the floor. He stood up, and moved over to where she was sitting. "You OK, Kairi?" he asked.

She looked back at him. "I'm just worried. I know you'll be fine, but what about the others? I know Ed and Al say they can defend themselves, but they've never even seen Heartless before, let alone had to fight them. Do you think they'll manage?"

Sora smiled. "We might not actually find any," he reminded her. "But if we do, I'll make sure they know what to do."

"I just don't want anyone to be in danger because of us. You know what I mean."

"It's not because of us. The Heartless came here on their own. Besides, they'd be in worse danger if we weren't here."

"I know."

Both were quiet for a little longer, before Kairi spoke again. "Hey…Sora?"

"Yeah?"

She leaned back, and a hint of a smile appeared on her face. "Thanks for letting me come with you," she said. "I'm so glad I got to see this place. It's been amazing."

"It's not really that special," said Sora. "It's not like much has happened yet."

"Easy for you to say. You've been to plenty of other worlds. I've only been to a few, and not because I wanted to. This is completely new to me."

She was right. The few times Kairi had been to other worlds had been under other, less desirable circumstances. Sora hadn't quite realized that this was her first time doing what he'd done.

"Meeting new people like this, and being somewhere you've never been…it's a little scary. But there's a part of it that's fun, too," Kairi continued.

"It's a lot easier when you know you've got a home to go back to," Sora reminded her.

"I know."

Kairi stood up and gave Sora a quick hug. "That's all I really wanted to say," she said. "Good luck tomorrow."

With that, she walked away.


	8. Investigation

"Sora, wake up. We've only got a half hour. Move it!"

The pile of blankets shifted, and a muffled groan emerged from the folds. Edward waited for a moment, and then yanked the blankets off. Sora sat up quickly, glaring at him. "I was about to get up!" he protested.

"Didn't look like it," said Edward. "By the way, Al thinks you should borrow some clothes. You really stand out with the ones you've got, and we're not supposed to attract attention."

Sora looked down at his outfit. "Is it really that weird?"

"Sure is. What's up with all the belts, anyway?"

"I didn't buy these. They were a gift!"

Edward sighed. "Whatever. C'mon, we're all up. Pick something out and get ready."

* * *

 

Several minutes later, Sora walked down the stairs and into the living room. He'd ended up borrowing some of Edward's clothes – tan pants and a sort of polo shirt, along with a pair of worn-out brown boots. They weren't quite the right size, but they would do for today.

Riku and Kairi were waiting in the living room. Riku grinned, and motioned for Sora to come over. "If you'd slept much longer, we might've had to break out the icewater," he teased.

Sora rolled his eyes and sat down next to his friends. "You look pretty good," said Kairi, cheerfully.

Sora looked a bit embarrassed. "Kinda reminds me of school uniforms," he said. "Do they wear stuff like this all the time here?"

"Not always," said Edward.

He and Alphonse walked into the room, looking just about ready to go. "If you don't like it, then it's not too late to go change."

Sora shook his head. "I'm fine."

"In that case, you'd better get something to eat. They'll probably have food on the train, but it'd be best to have breakfast now," said Alphonse.

"OK."

Sora walked over to the kitchen. He wasn't sure exactly what he wanted, but he figured it should be something that would last. After a bit of looking around, he ended up with a peanut butter sandwich and an orange. He started to leave, but then went back and put some crackers in a bag. He figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to have something for later in case he got hungry before lunch.

He put the crackers in his pocket and went back to the living room. The others were all waiting there. He sat down next to Riku and Kairi, and started working on his breakfast. After a while, he glanced over at the nearest clock. It was about ten 'till eight, so there was still a little time left before they'd have to leave. "Hey, um…Riku? Kairi? Why are you up? You aren't coming along, so you could've slept in," he asked.

"And let you leave without a goodbye from us?" countered Kairi, grinning. "Not likely."

"Thanks for that," said Sora. "I mean, you didn't have to, but I'm glad you did."

After a few moments of silence, Riku spoke. "So, those people from yesterday. You said you knew them. What are they like, and how did you meet?" he asked, trying to think of something to talk about.

After giving it some thought, Edward answered. "Mustang was the one who convinced me to become a State Alchemist," he explained. "We ended up crossing paths a lot later on. I didn't like the guy much at first, and I wouldn't quite consider him a friend. Still, he's a good guy to have on your side."

"Is he a State Alchemist?" asked Sora.

"Yeah. They call him the Flame Alchemist. If you ever see him fight, you'll see why."

"What about the woman who was with him?" asked Riku. "Lt. Hawkeye, right?"

"Yeah," said Alphonse. "From what I understand, they've known each other a long time. I think they care a lot about each other, even if they're always acting professional."

"In what way?" asked Kairi.

"Well, they've always got each other's backs. You can tell there's a lot of trust and respect between them. I'm not sure if it goes beyond that, but either way, they make a good team."

The five of them kept talking for a while, until finally the doorbell rang. Edward walked over and opened the door.

Sure enough, Roy and Riza were standing on the front steps. "Are the three of you ready?" asked Roy.

"Yeah," said Edward.

He turned back towards the room. "Al, Sora, we need to go," he said, loudly.

Alphonse ran over to the door. Sora looked at his friends, and smiled. "I'll be back," he said.

Kairi nodded. "Of course. Good luck."

Suddenly, he noticed the sound of footsteps. He looked at the staircase and saw Winry running down into the room. She ran towards the door, but then turned back towards Sora. "You haven't left yet?" she remarked.

"We're just about to," Sora told her. "If you wanted to say goodbye – "

Before he could finish, Winry ran out of the room. Sora hesitated, but then followed her to the door. She stood in front of the brothers, a serious look on her face. "Promise me you'll be alright," she said, firmly.

Edward hesitated for a moment. Soon, though, he nodded. "I will be," he said. "There's five of us, and we all know how to fight back if we have to. I think we'll be able to manage."

"You'd better," murmured Winry.

She gave each of her friends a hug, and left.

Sora turned to face Roy. "I'm ready whenever you are," he announced.

"That's good, because it's time to go," said Roy. "We've parked the car down by the street. Just follow me."

* * *

 

It wasn't a very long walk to the street. The car did have room for five people, although it was a bit of a tight squeeze for the three boys in the backseat. Thankfully, none of them took up much space.

The ride wasn't long either, and there was very little conversation on the way. Everyone seemed uneasy, for obvious reasons. When they reached the station, they left the car behind. Apparently it was a rental. Roy had already bought the tickets beforehand, so that was one less line to wait in.

Sora had never actually been on a train before. He'd heard that similar things existed on the larger islands, but nothing like this. Back home, people usually traveled long distances by boat or airplane. He supposed that here, the railways were the fastest way to travel.

It turned out they were right on time. Their train arrived about five minutes after they got there. The group quickly found their seats. There was just enough room for all of them in one booth.

Edward looked over at Sora, who seemed nervous. He couldn't blame him. He felt the same way, really. He wasn't sure what he was getting into, and the little information he did have was hardly comforting. He didn't know what kind of experiences Sora had with these creatures, but clearly he knew more than anyone else here. Edward made a mental note to ask Sora about it as soon as possible.

He was curious, though, about what had brought Sora and his friends here. The creatures, sure, but what reason did they have to come all this way to a place they'd never been to before? Had someone sent them here? If so, who was it? And if that was the case, how had they made it so far despite being so incredibly unprepared? Something didn't add up. He still couldn't help but be a little suspicious.

Once the train started moving, Roy began to explain their plans. "First off, we're going to visit our witness in the hospital," he said. "We'll see how he's doing and see if there's anything else he can tell us. After that, we'll talk to other people who've seen the creatures. We'll see what they have to say.

He looked Sora in the eye. "But while we're here, you've got to tell us what you know. We'll need your knowledge to help us figure out what to do."

Sora still looked nervous. "I'll tell you what I can," he said.

He'd already used the car ride to figure out a way to explain the Heartless without revealing too much about their nature. He just hoped it'd be enough. "We call them the Heartless. They're monsters created by people's inner darkness. They act on instinct mostly. They don't really have a goal, but someone who knows how to use the power of darkness can sometimes learn to command them. Don't expect them to hold back. They can kill you, but they're more likely to turn you into one of them. I hate to say it, but that's probably what happened to the worker."

Everyone else just stared at him. Sora, feeling incredibly awkward, continued. "I know it might be a little hard to believe, but I'm serious."

"It is a pretty far-fetched claim," said Riza. "How do you know all this?"

"They destroyed my hometown," Sora said, firmly. "And plenty of other places. They've all rebuilt, but it was pretty scary. Most of what I know, I learned either from experience or from other people. I don't want the same thing to happen here, so just trust me."

"How do you get rid of them?" asked Roy.

Sora wasn't sure what to say to that. "Well, they're kind of hard to get rid of," he admitted. "They usually come back after they're destroyed. You need a special weapon to get rid of them for good. I have one, and Riku and Kairi each have one too. That's why we're here. It's our job to stop them before they can do any major damage."

"So basically, you don't have a way to get rid of them," said Edward.

Sora was quiet. He didn't know for sure. The only thing he could think of was sealing this world's Keyhole, and he definitely couldn't talk about that. "I…I'll see what I can do."

"Great. So you can fight them individually, but you don't have a way to kick them out for good? Real helpful," remarked Edward, sarcastically.

"Just give me some time!" Sora protested.

Everyone was silent for a moment, and then Riza was the next to speak. "If these Heartless are so dangerous, then why haven't there been more attacks?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," said Sora. "Usually, they just overrun a place. It's unusual for them to be this secretive."

"Sora, you said that sometimes people can control them," said Alphonse. "Do you think that's what's going on?"

"Maybe, but I don't know. I'll probably be able to tell you more once we investigate."

Again, there was a moment of silence. "We're not stupid, Sora," said Roy. "There's a lot that you're trying to hide, isn't there? If your objective really is to help us, then keeping secrets would be counterproductive."

"I know," Sora grumbled. "I'm sorry. But even if I did tell you, there's no way you'd believe me."

"You'd be surprised," said Alphonse. "We've seen some weird stuff."

"Yeah, I figured. No need to tell me, but it's pretty obvious that your lives haven't been totally normal," said Sora.

He paused. "I know I must seem suspicious, or just plain crazy. But I swear I'm here to help. I'll do everything I can to protect you and your home."

"Just stick with us and help investigate," said Roy. "Saying you're useful means nothing if you can't act useful.

* * *

 

It took a few hours for the train to reach Central. The group left the station, and found another car. According to Roy, this was the one they'd left here before leaving for town. Once again, the boys had to share the backseat, but no one was in the mood to complain. "Hospital first, right?" asked Edward.

"Yes," Riza confirmed. "It's not very far from here, so don't get too comfortable."

For the next few minutes, Sora was strangely quiet. Edward found himself thinking back to what Sora had said on the ride here. The things were called Heartless. It was good to have a name for them, as strange a name as it was. The part he didn't get was how they were created. People's inner darkness? That didn't make any sense. Did Sora mean that they were attracted to negative emotions? But no, that wasn't quite the same. He wished that Sora would just cut the vague, cryptic bullshit and just say it straight. If he honestly wanted to help, he wasn't doing a very good job.

Alphonse was curious as well, but for different reasons. He knew that Sora and the others were here to fight the Heartless, but he figured there was more to it than that. Had they been sent here, or had they begun the journey on their own? If it had been the latter, they would have actually packed for the trip. At the very least, they would have brought money with them. But if someone had sent them, then they would have been told basic information about their destination. Neither of these applied. Nothing about this made sense! Had they really come from where they said they had, or had Sora lied? Alphonse didn't doubt their intentions, but the explanations were clearly lacking.

Both brothers wanted to talk to the other about it, but there was no way to do so while Sora was listening. It would have to wait until later.

After an almost entirely silent drive, they arrived at the hospital. The boys followed Roy and Riza up to the front desk. There was a woman standing on the other side, and she looked a little surprised. "It's you two," she remarked. "Are you here to see Mr. Lancaster?"

Roy nodded. "Yes. Could you remind us where the room is?"

"Sure. Second floor, room 38B."

The receptionist eyed the boys. "You're bringing them along too? I'm not sure about that. You're cleared to see him because of the investigation, but unless they're involved…"

"They are," said Roy."

He sighed. "I'll sign papers if you need me to. They need to come along."

He motioned towards Sora. "Especially this one."

The receptionist nodded. "Understood. Come with me, sir."

Roy followed her behind the desk. "Just wait here," said Riza. "We've got to arrange for you to come with us. Usually they wouldn't let strangers visit, but given the situation…"

She paused. "It won't take long. Just sit down."

Edward, Alphonse, and Sora did just that, finding a few empty seats near the back of the waiting room. "I wonder what kind of shape he'll be in," Sora said, quietly.

"Probably not good. It's only been a day since the attacks, after all," said Edward. "Don't be too shocked. It can be scary seeing people when they're like that."

Sora wanted to tell him that he knew – that he'd seen people who'd been injured. He'd been hurt pretty badly himself in some cases. But he couldn't. "I'll be alright," was all he said.

After a pause, he continued. "It's been a long time since I've been to a hospital," he said. "I never knew anyone who had to go."

"We've been a few times," said Alphonse.

For some reason, Sora wasn't surprised. "Last time was about four years ago, I think. My sister broke her ankle. It wasn't too bad. They just gave her a cast, and then we left," he explained.

"You have a sister?"

"Yeah. Older. It's been a while since I've seen her, though. She's been at college the last year…no, wait, two years. We were pretty close. Not inseparable close, but we got along. More so when we were older than when we were younger."

He sighed. "Once I get home, I'll get to see her. At least, that's the plan."

A few minutes later, Roy approached them. "Come on. Our witness is waiting," he announced.

* * *

 

He was a wiry, middle-aged man who looked like he needed some sunlight. His dark blonde hair was sprinkled with gray, and he had a weary sort of look on his face. When the group entered the room, the man frowned. "What do you want?" he said, sharply. "I've already told you everything I know. What else is there that you need?"

He looked at the newcomers. "And who are these people? Why'd you bring them along?"

Riza glanced at him, then at the boys. "This is Ralph Lancaster," she said.

She motioned towards Sora. "Mr. Lancaster, this is Sora. He claims to be somewhat of an expert on the creatures you encountered. Could you please tell him your story? He might be able to help us with the problem."

Ralph nodded. "And who are the other two?" he asked.

"These are Edward and Alphonse Elric," explained Roy. "Edward is the former Fullmetal Alchemist, so you may have heard of him. They're helping us investigate the situation."

Ralph sighed. "Well, let's get this over with. Pull over a chair or something, and I'll tell you what I know."

Sora grabbed a folding chair from the back of the room, and set it down next to Ralph's bed. Edward and Alphonse followed suit. Upon closer inspection, the man seemed to be in rough shape. His body was covered in bandages, and his left arm appeared to be broken. There were probably other injuries that weren't so obvious. Normally, Sora would have summoned his Keyblade and tried to cast Cure, but doing so would attract all kinds of unwanted attention. Not only that, but it was entirely possible that magic wouldn't work in this world. That brought up a whole slew of concerns, but now wasn't the time to focus on that. "Sir, could you tell me what happened?" he asked, his voice soft.

Ralph looked down, a grim look on his face. ""Whatever those monsters did to Victor, I don't want it to happen to anyone else. If you can stop them, I'll do whatever I can to help you out."

He paused, took a deep breath, and continued. "It was just an ordinary work day. Victor and I were supposed to check up on the sewers. We do that about twice a year just to be sure it's all running smoothly. So we went down there, expecting to unclog pipes or fix walkways or something. In this city, the underground is pretty complicated, so usually there's something that can be worked on. It's a dirty job, but the pay is decent. Anyway…"

He took another pause, trying to recall what had happened next. "We headed down. One of the big pipes was a bit jammed, so we'd just finished working on that. We'd pretty much finished. All of a sudden, we heard some weird noises. We figured it was just rats or something, so we didn't think much of it. But then Victor thought he saw something move. He took the lantern and went over to check it out.

Sora listened carefully as Ralph described the events. The two of them had somehow gotten lost, or at least had trouble finding the way out. Just when they were getting back on track, Ralph had seen something glowing yellow. He went over to take a look, but then Victor had yelled at him to get away. "Right then, this thing jumped out of the shadows and pulled me down," said Ralph. "It was hard to see, but it looked like the creature itself was made of shadows. Its body was pitch black, darker than anything I'd ever seen. It was shaped like a person, but it had these antenne that made it look a bit like a bug. It had these glowing yellow eyes, too. Guess they were what I'd seen.

All of a sudden, there were tons of them. Mostly they looked the same as that one, but some of 'em were different. There were a few shaped like spheres, and some that just looked like clouds. I thought I was done for, but then Victor runs in. He starts trying to get them off me. I tried to hit them with my tool bag, but it hardly did anything. Sometimes it didn't touch them. When it did, they didn't even seem to notice.

The two of us tried to get away, but the things were faster than we were. It was like they could disappear into the floor, or the walls, and just show up wherever we were. Shining light on 'em didn't help either – they'd just follow the shadows that the light made. We couldn't fight, and we couldn't run. I thought for sure we'd die there."

The man's face twisted, making it obvious how painful it was to remember these events. "Then we saw a light. There was a way out. I kept running, and then I heard Victor scream. So I turn around, and one of them just shoves its hand into his chest. It wasn't like it cut him open, either – the area around the hand was just as dark as the creature itself. It pulls its hand out, and it's holding this thing. Looks like a heart. Not like the organ, mind you, just the shape. It was glowing. Kinda looked like a crystal. It disappeared, and then Victor just…fell apart. It was like his body just dissolved into the air. There wasn't a thing left."

Ralph continued, his voice quiet and his hands shaking. "They all looked at me. So I ran. I got onto the ladder, and they hung onto me, trying to drag me back. It took every bit of strength I had not to fall back down. When I made it out, they didn't follow. Not sure why, but I really didn't care. I ran a few blocks until someone saw me. I looked down, saw how bloody and beat up I was, and…well, I guess I just passed out. Next thing I knew, I was here."

He sighed deeply. "I don't know what the hell those monsters were, but I doubt anyone believed me when I told them what happened."

He motioned towards Roy and Riza. "They were part of the team that checked the place out afterward. Unlike everyone else, they took me seriously."

Sora nodded. "Definitely Heartless," he said, firmly.

He looked at Ralph. The man looked even more worn-out than before. It couldn't have been easy for him to tell them about all this, and Sora appreciated his willingness to help. "I'm really sorry about Victor, Mr. Lancaster. I swear I'll get rid of them. I can't let them hurt anyone else."

Ralph chuckled. "Hard to believe that a kid like you could do anything," he replied. "Have you ever seen them? Do you know what you're up against? This isn't a job for just anyone."

"I've seen plenty," said Sora. "I've beat them, too – plenty of times. I know how to fight them. Trust me."

A faint smile appeared on the man's face. "Hard to believe that," he said.

Before Sora could protest, Ralph continued. "But you've got a lot of confidence. That's something I can believe in. You'd better be right about this.

"I am. Trust me."

* * *

 

As the five of them left the hospital, Sora couldn't help being a bit worried. So many people were counting on him, but he still didn't have a plan. The story, too, had rattled him. He'd forgotten how terrifying the Heartless could be when you'd never seen them before. He'd been lucky to have the Keyblade on his side during his first encounter, but it had still been horrible. He could hardly imagine what it would be like to face them unarmed.

After they'd gotten into the car, Edward asked where they were going next. Roy responded quickly. "We're going to visit Mrs. Bradley," he said.

Sora looked confused. "Who's she?"

"The previous leader of Amestris was her husband," said Riza.

"OK, but why are we visiting her?" asked Sora. "Does she know anything about the Heartless?"

A moment of awkward silence followed. "It's complicated," said Riza. "For that matter, this won't concern you. We'll have to ask you to stay out of the conversation."

Sora agreed to that, but remained curious. "So what happened to her husband?" he asked.

"He was killed in an uprising of sorts, about four months ago," said Roy.

"What kind of uprising?"

Roy said nothing. "That's not important right now. Maybe someone can explain later," said Riza.

Once again, the rest of the drive was quiet. Eventually, they reached a very large house. It was painted pale blue, and it looked to be well taken care of. "She's living here?" Edward remarked, sounding surprised.

"She did stay in the mansion for a while," Riza explained. "But since she has no connection to the current Fuhrer, arrangements were made for her to live elsewhere."

"Fuhrer?" repeated Sora.

"It's the title given to the leader of Amestris," said Roy.

The car was parked on the side of the street, next to the house. The group left the vehicle and walked up to the door. Roy rang the doorbell and waited for a response. After a little while, the door opened and a woman answered. She looked to be somewhere in her late fifties, possibly sixties. She had a dignified sort of air about her, but didn't appear unfriendly. Her dirty blonde hair was tied back in a bun, and her clothes were relatively casual.

The woman smiled. "It's been some time, hasn't it? You're a little early."

Roy pulled out a pocket watch, and flipped it open. "I guess we are," he remarked. "Should we wait a little longer?"

"No, it's alright," said Mrs. Bradley. "Come on in."

Everyone followed her into the house. It really was a nice place. Everything appeared to be clean and well-organized, and it had a welcoming feel to it. "I've already told you why we're here," said Roy.

"Yes, you have," she confirmed. "I don't understand why you're worried, though. He's no different than any other baby. How could he possibly be involved in what you're dealing with?"

Sora stopped, looking confused. "Huh?"

Mrs. Bradley looked back at him. "I'm sorry, I don't think we've met," she remarked. "Are you involved with this somehow?"

"His name is Sora," said Roy. "He claims to be an expert on the problem we're dealing with. That said, he won't be involved in our discussion."

"I understand."

After a short walk, they reached a small room. Mrs. Bradley opened the door, and motioned for them to come in. There was a table set for five, with a pot of tea set in the middle. "Should I wait outside?" asked Sora.

"Yes. I'm sorry, but this doesn't concern you," confirmed Riza. "Could you wait out here until we're done?"

"Sure."

Mrs. Bradley looked around the room. She pointed to a small table nearby. "There's some magazines over there, if you want something to do," she offered. "I don't know if they'll interest you, but hopefully we won't be too long. I'd prefer if you stayed nearby, though. "

Sora nodded in agreement. With that, the others entered the room and closed the door.

He walked over to the table and took a look at the magazines. There was one that seemed to be full of recipes, and another that looked like the kind of "home and lifestyle" thing his mom sometimes bought. There was a newspaper, and another magazine that was clearly about current events. That last one looked the most appealing. He wasn't sure he'd know what they were talking about, but he figured it'd be a good chance to learn about Amestris.

Before he started, though, he noticed a framed photograph hanging on the wall. He stood up and went closer. The picture showed Mrs. Bradley with an older man and a boy. The man looked to around her age or a little older, probably somewhere in his sixties. He had a moustache and black hair, and was wearing formal clothes. His left eye was covered with an eyepatch, making him look a little intimidating. Still, his expression was friendly enough to offset that. The boy looked like he was about eight or nine. His dark hair was neatly combed, and he had a huge smile on his face.

Sora figured that the man was probably her husband. The kid looked too young to be their son, but clearly he was someone that they were familiar with. Maybe he was a nephew or a grandson?

He thought about it for a moment, and then decided to just read the magazine.

* * *

 

"Yes, I've heard about these creatures," said Mrs. Bradley. "I read about the attack in today's paper, and I'd read about the sightings before that."

She gave Roy a confused look. "But I don't see how I can help. I don't know any more than you do."

Roy took a deep breath. "I told you, it's not you we're here about. We're concerned about Selim."

Mrs. Bradley frowned. "He hasn't acted unusual at all," she said, flatly. "He does seem more perceptive than usual for his age, but I haven't seen him do anything worthy of concern. For all intents and purposes, he's an ordinary boy."

"I believe you. However, we still need to ask a few questions, just to be safe."

The room was quiet for a moment. "It's got nothing to do with whether or not we trust you," Roy continued.

"The creatures we're after are supposed to look like they're made of shadows," said Edward, quietly. "That's the kind of power that he used to have, so it's worth asking about."

Mrs. Bradley nodded, but still didn't look too happy about the idea. "What would you like to know?"

Roy gave it some thought. "What has he been like within the last four months? I remember what he looked like when Edward gave him to you. I'd assume he's grown?"

"Yes. He grew very quickly. It took about three weeks before he reached normal size. After that, though, he began to age at the same rate as anyone else."

"Has he spoken at all?" asked Riza.

"Yes, but not very often. When he does, it's never more than one or two words."

"What about behavior?" continued Roy. "You said it's been normal, but could you elaborate?"

"He's usually quiet," Mrs. Bradley answered. "He rarely cries, which I understand is unusual. Besides that, though, there's nothing strange. He seems to enjoy my company, and that of the few other people who've seen him."

She paused. "I've had to learn a lot, since I've never taken care of a baby before. It's certainly not easy."

"So you haven't seen him do anything suspicious?" asked Riza.

"Not at all. Like I told you, he's been perfectly normal."

Roy waited a bit. "It doesn't sound like there's anything to worry about," he concluded. "Still, no one realized what he was before, either. And since he can't speak, there's no way of knowing if he remembers his past."

"Y'know, I just thought of something," Edward said. "The description we got from the guy in the hospital doesn't sound at all like Pride. Even if Selim did remember, I really doubt it'd be him."

Alphonse thought about that, and then nodded in agreement. "I think you're right," he said.

He turned towards Roy and Riza. "Pride usually controlled a single mass of shadows, sending out parts of it to attack with. The creatures we've heard about not only look different, but they also seem to be separate individuals."

"Yeah, and whatever these things do to their victims is different, too," Edward continued. "Pride would've been more likely to cut the guy to pieces."

Mrs. Bradley gave him a horrified stare, but said nothing. Alphonse waited a bit, and then nudged his brother. Edward sighed. "Sorry, too much information," he muttered.

The woman took a few deep breaths. "So it's definitely not him?" she asked.

"Doesn't seem likely," said Riza. "I can personally confirm their claims. Looks like you're off the hook, ma'am."

Mrs. Bradley looked relieved. "That's good."

Roy smiled. "Mind if we stay and chat a little longer? It has been a while since we've seen each other, and I'm curious as to how you've been."

"I suppose that'd be alright."

* * *

 

Sora heard the door open. He put down the half-finished magazine and walked over to the rest of the group. After everyone said their goodbyes, they were shown back to the door. As they piled back into the car, Sora spoke up. "I saw this picture on the wall," he said. "Mrs. Bradley was in it, and there was this other guy, probably her husband. But there was also this boy. Do you know who he was?"

No one responded. "Does the kid have anything to do with the baby she mentioned?" Sora continued. "Like, are they related?"

"You could say that," said Riza.

The car pulled away from the curb and left the street. Sora knew that this had nothing to do with him, but he still couldn't help wondering about it. Did it have something to do with the brothers' past? It must have, since they were allowed to be there during the discussion.

He was starting to get frustrated with how little he knew. He figured they must feel the same way about him, but his situation was different. He honestly couldn't tell them his real reason for being here. They, on the other hand, just weren't willing.

He tried to put it in perspective. Obviously whatever they were hiding was difficult to talk about, probably for several reasons. And if it was tied into the country's recent history, then it made sense that they'd be reluctant to tell things to people they'd just met. Still, he wished he knew something. He knew it was selfish, but he wanted to know more. He wanted to know about them so he could understand the kind of people they were. Was that really so bad?

He leaned back into his seat and tried to relax. Maybe they'd be more open about it as time went by.


	9. Pieces of the Past

It was warm today, and the afternoon sunlight filtered in through the curtains to mix with the indoor lights. The house itself was very quiet. The only sounds to be heard were occasional voices from the upstairs workroom.

For Riku, the day had seemed almost boring. There hadn't been a set time for lunch, since the Rockbells were in the middle of some client's appointment. Instead he and Kairi had made their own meal when they'd gotten hungry. Right now, the two of them were just sitting around.

A few minutes passed, and Kairi began sifting through the contents of a nearby shelf. She picked out a pencil and a few pieces of paper. After a few more minutes of thinking, she began to scribble something on the paper. Riku didn't know what she was planning to do, but it did seem to help her relax.

He walked over to the table, sat down on the floor, and watched for a while. "I didn't know you liked to draw," he said.

"I don't," said Kairi, her eyes still on the paper.

"Then what're you doing right now?"

"It's not really drawing. I'm just doodling. It's not supposed to be anything."

Riku took another look at the page. It mostly consisted of lines. Sometimes they'd come together to make something more coherent, but mostly they just flowed around the paper on their own. It wasn't much, but if you looked at it right…"It's kind of cool," he said.

"Maybe," murmured Kairi. "It's something to do. I don't really care if it looks good."

Riku waited a moment, and then changed the subject. "You worried?" he asked. "You've been a little off today."

"Not worried, exactly. Maybe a bit uneasy."

"Because of Sora?"

Kairi shook her head. "Not really. He knows what he's doing. It's this whole situation that's getting to me."

"What about it?"

"Just how weird it is. How little progress we've made. I mean, we haven't seen a single Heartless, and we have no idea what they're doing."

She put down her pencil. "That, and it's kind of weird to be living in a world you barely know, with people you just met."

A brief pause. "Riku, don't you feel just a little guilty about keeping secrets from everyone? I know why we're doing it, but it still doesn't feel quite right."

"Well, think about it. If someone told you they were from another world, and you didn't know that there were any others, how would you react? You'd think they were crazy, right? Especially if they didn't have proof."

"They probably already think we're a bit crazy. At the very least, they think we're weird."

"Still, if the idea of other worlds got out, it wouldn't be good. I'm pretty sure Mickey knows what he's talking about. You can at least trust him, right?"

"Of course."

Kairi folded up the paper and put it on a nearby shelf. "I wonder if Sora always has this problem."

Riku shrugged. "Doesn't seem like it. He said that most of the people he meets don't ask so many questions."

"That must be nice."

"Must be," said Riku, a slight smile on his face.

He changed the subject. "So Kairi, do you want to look around again?"

Kairi gave him a surprised look. "Do we really need to?"

"Not what I meant. I was just thinking of exploring a little. I was wondering if you wanted to come with me."

"No, I don't feel like it. Are you OK with going by yourself?"

"Yeah, that's fine."

Riku stood up and headed for the door. "When these two are done, let them know where I am," he said. "I'll be back in about an hour."

Shortly after he left, Kairi heard a door open and close. She looked towards the staircase and saw Winry a few steps from the top. "Grandma's just finishing up," she announced. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but it was a tricky job."

She reached the bottom of the staircase and looked around. "Where's Riku?"

"He went for a walk," said Kairi.

After another minute or two, Pinako came downstairs with the young man they'd been working on. "Thanks," he said. "Anything else I need to know?"

"Like I said, we'll need you back in a few weeks," Winry reminded him. "Pay attention to how your hand is doing. If you run into any problems, just let us know."

"Got it. Thanks!"

He left quickly, and Winry's attention turned to Kairi. "You've seemed bored today," she commented. "Anything I can do about that?"

"I'm not sure," replied Kairi. "What do you want to do?"

Winry gave that some thought. "Well, I do have some photos that need to be organized. Want to help?"

"About time," muttered Pinako.

Winry looked irritated all of a sudden. "Hey!" she shouted.

Her grandmother smirked. "You have all the ones from the past few years in a box, and you've just been piling up more. That's not even taking the envelopes full of old ones into account. I was just saying it's good you're getting around to it."

Winry relaxed a bit. "I haven't been feeling like it," she said.

"I know. That's understandable. But it does need to be done."

Kairi seemed a bit surprised. "Is it OK for me to see?" she asked. "I mean, stuff like that is kind of personal. You're really alright with it?"

"It's no big deal," Winry assured her. "There's nothing too embarrassing in there."

* * *

 

A few minutes later, the two of them were sitting at the table. A small box of photos sat on the floor nearby, and a few large envelopes lay on the table. Winry had opened one and was flipping through the contents. These were clearly older pictures, several of which showed Winry as a child. She'd looked quite a bit different, but Kairi could still tell it was her. She was a little surprised to see that almost all the pictures were in color. Given what she'd seen of this world, she'd been expecting black and white.

She noticed that many of the photos of Winry had her with two adults who looked to be somewhere in their late twenties. She assumed they were her parents. The next time one of these appeared, Kairi asked about it.

A sad smile appeared on the other girl's face. "Yeah, they are."

Kairi hadn't seen them during the time she'd been here. That and the way Winry had reacted led to an obvious conclusion. "Did something happen to them?"

"They died when I was little," said Winry, quietly. "I've been living with Grandma ever since then."

Kairi wasn't sure what to say. She couldn't imagine what that would be like. Her thoughts immediately turned to her own parents. She wasn't their biological daughter, of course, but she might as well be. It wasn't like she remembered her real parents. The ones she knew were wonderful people, and she didn't want to think about what it'd be like to lose them. "What happened?"

Winry hesitated, but then began to explain. "Back then, there was a war," she began. "Both my parents were doctors, and they went into the middle of it to treat the wounded. They ended up helping anyone who needed it, regardless of the side they were on."

"Wouldn't they get in trouble for helping the enemy, though?" Kairi asked.

Winry looked grim. "If they'd lived until it ended, they probably would have. But it wasn't the usual type of war, either."

She didn't elaborate further. Kairi wasn't sure what Winry meant, but decided she didn't really want to know. "So what happened, then?"

"It was one of their patients. I don't know why, but he killed them."

Kairi's mouth dropped open. "What? Why!"

"Like I said, I don't know."

Kairi didn't know what to say to that, either. Instead, she picked up another photo. It was another picture of a younger Winry. She was playing with two boys that looked to be about her age. "Are these Ed and Al?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah. We've known each other for a long time, remember?"

Kairi took a closer look at the picture. Aside from a few differences, the boys were still recognizable. "You look like you were having fun," she remarked.

"We probably were."

After a few minutes, Winry moved the box onto the table, and pulled out a handful of pictures. "These ones are from the last three years or so. There aren't too many in here of Ed and Al, since they didn't visit too often," she explained.

She smiled. "I didn't take that many, really. Most of these are ones that Grandma took. They're of all kinds of stuff, so I want to see which ones are worth keeping."

They started to look through the contents of the box. Most of them were of simple things – flowers, sunsets, the dog, things like that. A lot were of people Kairi hadn't seen. She figured they were family friends, or just people from around town.

Then a few pictures came up that caught her attention. She saw the outside of the house, or other places nearby, and she saw a slightly younger Edward. These must have been from one of their visits. But there was something unusual that kept showing up. Several of the pictures showed a strange-looking suit of armor positioned in various ways. It was huge – probably seven feet tall. The helmet looked a little bit like a monster's face, with a jagged mouth and a horn on its forehead. There were spikes on various parts of its body, and overall it looked awfully intimidating. She didn't see why they kept taking pictures of it.

She pointed to it. "What's up with this thing?"

Winry looked surprised for a moment. "Oh. Um…"

She suddenly seemed uneasy. "I forgot, you wouldn't know about that. This is going to sound a little weird, but that's actually Al."

Kairi stared at her. "What? But why would he be wearing that?"

She paused. "And wait, that thing is way too big for him. How would he be able to – "

Kairi noticed Winry's expression, and stopped. The other girl seemed visibly upset. "What's wrong?"

"I didn't say he was wearing it."

It took Kairi a few seconds to realize what she meant. Then, it hit her. "You…you mean he was the armor? That…but…how? Why?"

"It's a long story," said Winry. "I'll give you the short version."

Her gaze seemed to shift downward a bit. "Basically, Ed and Al tried to do something with alchemy that no one is supposed to do. It went wrong, REALLY wrong. Ed lost his left leg, and Al lost his whole body. Ed was able to save Al's life by binding his soul to that armor, but doing so cost him his right arm as well."

Kairi looked horrified. "That's…"

She stopped. "But Ed has both arms. How'd he get it back?"

"I'll get to that."

Winry looked down at the pictures on the table. "A few days afterward, Colonel Mustang showed up. He said that there was a way for the two of them to return to normal. Problem was, it involved something that people aren't supposed to know about. If they wanted to find it, one of them would have to join the military as a State Alchemist."

"So that's why he did that?" asked Kairi.

"Exactly. Grandma and I were able to make automail to replace Ed's arm and leg. It's a serious procedure, and it takes a long time to recover from. It took him a year, and that's still less time that it usually takes. Once he was able, the two of them left."

Winry paused. "They spent the next three years searching for what they needed. After that, though, things got a lot more complicated. They got involved in a lot of crazy stuff. Eventually, though, they found a way. Al was able to reverse the seal that Ed had made, which gave Ed his arm and sent Al's soul back to his body. It wasn't really an ideal solution, but from what I understand they were in a rough situation. There wasn't much choice at the time. In order for Ed to get Al back, he had to give up something. He chose to give up his ability to use alchemy."

Both girls were quiet for a few seconds. "So it worked out?" Kairi asked.

"Mostly. They had to suffer through a lot to get to that point. Even then, Ed wasn't able to get his leg back. As for Al, his body was weak after not being used for so long. He's recovered well, but he's still not quite back to normal. You've noticed he's kind of underweight, right?"

Kairi nodded. "Yeah, I did notice. But still, it sounds like they're lucky that it worked at all."

"Exactly. I'm just glad they can live like normal people again."

Kairi took another look at the pictures. "Exactly how long was he like that?"

"Almost five years."

Kairi's eyes widened. "F-five years?"

"Yeah."

Again, Winry's expression hardened. "He couldn't feel anything. Heat, cold, pain, or any kind of physical contact. Obviously, he couldn't eat either. He wasn't even able to sleep. He was up all night, every night, all by himself."

For a moment, Kairi was speechless. "For that long?" she finally asked

"Yeah. Even so, he hardly ever complained. Mostly he was just glad to be alive. Still, I don't know how he did it. I don't think I could have."

"Me neither," agreed Kairi."

Winry looked at Kairi for a while, and suddenly frowned. "You know, we shouldn't be talking about them like this. I don't think they'd be happy with it. After all, it's not like they just sat around feeling sorry for themselves. They realized pretty quickly that doing that wouldn't change anything. So instead, they kept moving forward. They tried to make a better future for themselves, and for all the people they met."

Kairi gave that some thought. "Sounds like they're people anyone would be proud to have as friends."

"That's for sure."

Winry leaned back a little in her chair. "There's a lot more to it than what I told you. But if anyone's going to tell the whole story, it should be them. If you're really interested, wait until they get back."

* * *

 

Riku hadn't found much that was worth seeing around here. It wasn't any livelier than yesterday. There were some places that seemed worth a look, and there were a lot of small stores. That said, he wasn't the type who enjoyed window shopping.

After wandering around for a while, he decided there was no point in staying around here. He'd probably find more interesting things around the outskirts of town.

As he made his way down the street, he went through the situation in his head. He wasn't worried about Sora or the Elric brothers. If they did find Heartless, he trusted them to watch each other's backs. His concern was if they didn't. What would they do if they couldn't find the Heartless? You can't fight something you can't see. It was only a matter of time before something terrible happened.

Kairi's comments from earlier also worried him. How long could they go before the people they'd met demanded answers? He figured they still weren't sure what to think of the newcomers. Hopefully they'd made a good impression. He'd hoped they could keep their secret, but was that still realistic? If it wasn't, how would they ensure that the knowledge wouldn't spread to other people? Winry and the brothers seemed trustworthy, but could they keep quiet about something like this? He wasn't entirely sure.

He kept walking until he'd left the streets behind him. Over here was mostly just stretches of grass. Riku thought he could see the edge of a wheat field in the distance. There were a few houses in one direction. It seemed that some people lived out here, rather than in the main part of town.

He took a moment to think about where he was. He'd need to know how to get back to Winry's house once he was done exploring. Once he'd done that, he surveyed the area. Upon doing so, he noticed a loose row of houses. But as he drew closer, he saw what appeared to be a gap in the middle of the row. Curious, he went over to take a look.

The walk was longer than he'd expected, but it was worth it for what he found. If there had ever been a house here, it was gone now. The only indicator that anything had stood here were traces of a stone foundation embedded in the ground.

He began to look around the area. Upon further investigation, he saw that one or two nearby trees were charred on one side. Had the house burned down? If so, it had obviously been cleaned up since then. There weren't any ashes in the area, and the thick layer of dirt covering the stones suggested than any such fire hadn't been recent.

He wasn't sure how common fires were in this area. There did seem to be a lot of grass, so it would make sense for things like that to happen in the drier seasons. He'd have to ask about it when he got back.

* * *

 

Kairi and Winry were almost finished with the pictures when there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it," said Kairi.

She went over and opened it. "Hi, Riku."

The two of them walked back to the kitchen. "That was longer than an hour," Kairi pointed out.

"Took me longer than I thought to get back," Riku replied.

"It's alright," Winry assured him. "How was the walk?"

"Good. What've you been doing?"

Winry motioned to the table. The pictures had been re-sorted into several envelopes, but still hadn't been put away. "We were looking though old photos."

Riku made a mental note to ask Kairi whether she'd seen anything worth mentioning. "Looks like you had a lot to go through."

"Yeah, it was a pretty big job. I'd been putting it off, so they'd had a while to pile up."

Riku nodded. "I know the feeling."

He paused, then changed the subject. "So does this area ever have problems with fires?"

Winry looked confused. "Not really. Why do you ask?"

"Well, there was this spot where it looked like there'd been a house once. Nothing there now. I figured there may have been a fire, given the damaged trees around the area. Any idea what happened there?"

As soon as Riku mentioned the house, Winry suddenly seemed very uncomfortable. She frowned, and looked away. "That was…"

She hesitated briefly. "You know, between this and those photos, I think there's a lot that needs to be said. Once the guys get back, I'll see if Ed and Al would be willing to explain it all.

"You don't really need to," said Kairi. "I mean, if it's hard to talk about, then – "

"It's alright," Winry interjected. "It's only fair that we be honest with you. I know we've just met, but I trust you guys. You seem like really nice people."

Kairi, a little embarrassed, thanked her. "The story's kind of weird," continued Winry. "A lot of things happened, and we found out about things that we wouldn't have thought were possible. I'm not sure you'll be able to believe it all. Will you listen anyway?"

"Of course."

Kairi looked towards Riku. "You will too, right?"

"Sure," said Riku.

Still, the silver-haired boy didn't know what to think. They were actually willing to put out their life's stories? Just like that? He didn't know if the others would agree to it, but he was still surprised that Winry was willing. He was impressed, and certainly grateful. But something didn't feel right.

How could they continue to hide the truth from people who were so sincere? Mickey had said "unless absolutely necessary" when he'd told them to keep quiet. This probably didn't qualify. Would he mind if they told just a few people? Knowing him, he'd put a lot of value on a friend's trust. It was possible he'd understand. Still, there was no way to be certain. What was the right thing to do, anyway?

At that moment, Riku honestly didn't know.


	10. Unbroken Hearts

It was late evening. The sun had set, and the sky was almost completely dark. Between the gaps in the gray veil of clouds, a few stars managed to show themselves. The group of five had left the station about half an hour ago, and was on their way back to the house. They'd spent the rest of their time in Central talking to people who'd seen the Heartless. After that, they'd inspected the area around the site of the attack.

Unfortunately, the witnesses hadn't been able to provide any new information. During the whole day, they'd failed to spot even one of the dark creatures. They hadn't actually gone underground, either, and this was what Sora was concerned about. That seemed to be the only place they'd been spotted, so it was likely that they were hiding there. He didn't know why, but it was something worth reporting.

Still, this presented a problem. The underground didn't extend to Resembool, and it took time to get to Central. How were they going to stop the Heartless if they couldn't reach them? Even if they could leave without attracting suspicion, they wouldn't be able to pay for train tickets. He'd seen the kind of currency that Roy had used, and it didn't look like munny.

Sora figured he'd give it more thought later. Right now, he was exhausted. "How close are we?" he asked.

Edward looked out the window. He tried to see if he could spot any landmarks, but the night made it difficult to get a clear view. "Pretty close, I think," he said. "No more than ten minutes."

His estimate was about accurate, and they reached the house soon after. The boys stepped out of the car and walked up to the porch. Sora looked back at the car. "Hey, do you need to come in?" he asked loudly.

"No. We'll stay the night in the inn again, and then we'll go back tomorrow. I trust the three of you to tell the others what we found," Roy shouted back.

"Thanks for the help. We'll call if anything else comes up," added Riza

"Thank you too," said Sora.

The car pulled away and quickly disappeared into the night. Edward knocked on the door, and Winry answered almost immediately. As soon as she saw them, she let out a sigh of relief. "You're back," she said, smiling.

"Of course we are," said Sora, grinning. "We didn't run into any trouble."

Winry looked a little surprised. "Really? You didn't see any of the monsters?"

"Heartless," Sora corrected. "That's what they're called."

"Whatever," muttered Edward.

He walked through the door. "C'mon. We've got to tell all of you what happened.

* * *

 

The four of them, plus Riku, Kairi, and Pinako, gathered in the living room. "So what'd you do?" asked Riku.

"Not too much," said Edward. "We went and saw the guy who'd seen the attack. Most of the day we just talked to witnesses and checked around the area."

"So you never actually went into the sewers?" asked Kairi.

"We didn't. They said we didn't have time, but I think the real reason was that they didn't want us getting hurt," Edward answered.

He rolled his eyes. "I bet they'll go right back there tomorrow."

Sora hoped he was wrong. It was true that Roy and Riza were veteran soldiers. Roy was an alchemist as well. They could probably take on anything else without much trouble. But Heartless were different, and an encounter with them might take a turn for the worse. The two of them seemed like good people, and he didn't want anything to happen to them.

"Does it matter?" Winry replied. "Either way, it seems like things went okay."

"Yeah, but I wish we'd learned more," said Alphonse, glumly. "Those things are still out there, and we're not any closer to stopping them."

Kairi tapped Winry on the shoulder. "You were going to ask them something when they got back, right?" she whispered.

Winry nodded. She looked at Edward and Alphonse. "Yeah. Ed, Al, I have something to ask."

Alphonse nodded. "Sure. What is it?"

Winry frowned, and tensed up a bit. She was clearly nervous, but she forced herself to continue speaking. "Could you explain to these three what things have been like over the last few years?"

Edward looked surprised, and a bit confused. "You mean, about…"

"Everything. Well, maybe not everything, but could you just give them some idea of all that happened?"

Alphonse looked away. "Winry, I don't know. That's kind of – "

"Why should we?" Edward interrupted. "This is our lives you're talking about. It's not a joke!"

"Of course it's not a joke!" shouted Winry. "Why would I think it was?"

Pinako glanced over at her granddaughter. "He has a point. After all, you've just met these kids."

She looked over at Sora, Riku, and Kairi. "No offense, but I'm not sure we know you well enough to talk about things like this."

"I understand," Winry said. "I was a part of it too, remember? I worried about you two a lot, and sometimes things felt hopeless. But it's over now. It was never a joke, but it's not a secret either!"

Sora wasn't sure what to think. He wasn't sure why Winry was asking this all of a sudden. Had something happened while they'd been gone? Whatever the reason, he found himself kind of hoping that they'd agree to it.

"They're getting curious, you know," she continued. "I already told Kairi some things when we were sorting through photos earlier today. And Riku found what's left of your old house when he was out walking. I think you owe them at least some explanation.

Edward sighed, and turned towards the trio. "You're really that interested?" he asked.

"I think I'd like to know more," Riku replied.

Kairi nodded. "If you're willing, I think I'd like to hear the rest."

Sora was quiet for a little while. Would they expect an explanation in return? If they did, would he be willing to give one? He wasn't sure what to do."

Riku nudged him. "Sora?"

It was probably worth it. "I want to know. It's been hard hearing all these little things and not knowing what they mean. If it's okay with you, I want to know what happened."

Edward and Alphonse exchanged concerned looks. "Al, if you're alright with this…" Edward began.

"I guess so," replied Alphonse.

His attention shifted to Sora. "I should warn you – this won't be easy to talk about. It probably won't be easy to listen to, either," he said.

"I understand," Sora answered.

He wished he could tell them. He wanted to say that things hadn't been easy for him, either. But he couldn't, not now. Right now, he needed to listen.

Everyone found a place to sit, and all eyes turned to the two brothers. "So, where should we start?" asked Edward.

"With Mom?" suggested Alphonse.

Edward nodded. For a moment, he seemed a thousand miles away. "Yeah. We'll start there."

* * *

 

So that's where they began. They told the whole story, from the failed resurrection up to the final showdown with Father. Sora, Riku, and Kairi listened intently the whole way through. Alphonse had been right – it wasn't easy to hear. But it explained a lot. All the little things they hadn't understood – the remains of the burnt house, the visit with Mrs. Bradley, the scar on Edward's shoulder – all of it made perfect sense now.

The trio was silent for what felt like a long time. It was a lot to take in. Again, Sora wanted to tell them what he'd been through, if only to prove that he could empathize more than they might think. Instead, he remained quiet.

Riku was the first of them to speak. "I wouldn't have thought that things were that rough," he said. "You wouldn't be able to tell just by looking at you. You seemed pretty normal at first."

Alphonse smiled. "That's good to hear."

Pinako glanced over at Sora. "There is something you should know," she said. "The real reasons for the conflict in Central were never revealed to the general public. They were told that a group of government officials had tried to seize control of the country, and that Fuhrer Bradley had been killed during the uprising. After all, who would've believed all that business about the Homunculi and ancient conspiracies without any real proof?"

She paused. "Point is, don't go telling this to just anyone. Got it?"

Kairi nodded. "Understood. We'll keep it to ourselves."

Sora turned towards Edward. "Thanks for trusting us," he said. "It means a lot."

Edward shrugged. "Thanks for listening."

Winry stood up. "Guys, it's getting late," she reminded them. "We probably should get some rest."

She glanced over at Edward and Alphonse. "That goes double for you and Sora. You had a long day today."

Alphonse yawned. "Sounds good."

* * *

 

The trio waited until everyone else had gone to their rooms. After that, they gathered in the spare room. "I think we ought to give the King another report," Sora suggested.

"What, about what Ed and Al told us?" Kairi asked, sounding confused. "We don't need to tell him about that!"

"Of course not!" Sora protested. "I meant about our trip to Central. About the attack."

"Sounds good," agreed Riku. "Actually, there's something I'd like to ask him about."

He glanced over at the door. "We should wait a few hours, though. We wouldn't want anyone to wake up and realize we're missing."

"Good idea," said Kairi. "Are we going to just stay up, or are we going to set some kind of alarm?"

"I don't think an alarm is a good idea," Riku reminded her. "We don't want to wake everyone else?"

"Then who stays up?" asked Sora.

"Not you, that's for sure. You need your sleep," Kairi reminded him.

"I'll do it," announced Riku. "It's about 10:30 right now, so I'll wake you up at 1:00. That alright?"

"Fine with me," said Sora.

He paused. "So does that mean I can sleep now?"

* * *

 

The next two and a half hours started out slow. If Riku were at home, he would've passed the time watching TV, or maybe playing video games. Neither of these things seemed to exist in Amestris. It was too dark to do anything outside, and the radio would be too loud. Besides, he wouldn't know which channels to look for.

Instead, he found a stash of books piled up on a shelf. Riku was no bookworm, but he'd always loved stories as a kid. He'd liked to read about people having exciting adventures, or going to places they'd never seen before. He'd liked to pretend that he was there with the characters, doing the same cool things as they did. The things that happened in the books weren't always fun. Sometimes they were scary, or sad. But for a boy who knew nothing beyond his own quiet life, that aspect was easy to overlook.

Most of the books in the pile had looked like bad romance novels. Someone's guilty pleasure, perhaps? There were a few others, though. Riku ended up choosing a thick paperback with a cover depicting a man and woman running away from an explosion. It looked fairly new, and didn't appear to have been read more than once or twice.

The book turned out to be about an ex-secret agent who was pulled out of retirement by a series of events taking place in his hometown. These events turned out to be connected to someone the protagonist had put behind bars years before. Now he'd escaped, and was seeking revenge. It wasn't all that original, nor was it particularly well-written. Still, it made a good time-waster.

Despite its length, it was an easy read, and so Riku went through it quickly. By 1:00, he was about halfway done. As he returned the book to the shelf, he took another look at the cover. He realized that the woman depicted there hadn't actually made an appearance yet. He wondered if she'd show up later, or if she'd just been put on the cover to attract potential readers.

He climbed up the stairs, and entered the spare room. Seeing Sora and Kairi asleep made him realize how tired he was. Still, it'd have to wait. They had a report to make.

He bent down and poked the two of them. "Time to go," he whispered.

Sora opened his eyes a few seconds later, and Kairi followed shortly after. "Already?" she murmured.

"Check the clock yourself if you want proof," Riku told her.

Sora sat up and slowly rose to his feet. "Ready," he said, still sounding half-asleep.

The three of them walked downstairs. Riku popped into the kitchen and quickly returned with a flashlight. "We'll probably need this," he said. "There aren't any streetlights this far from town."

They left the house, and began heading for the warp point. "We should be able to see it once we're close enough," Kairi announced.

She turned towards Sora. "Right?"

Sora said nothing. He looked up at the starry sky, scanning its expanse as if looking for something. Kairi tapped his shoulder. "Sora, did you hear me?" she asked.

He looked back at her. "Sorry, what'd you say?"

"I asked if we'll be able to see the warp point in the dark," Kairi repeated.

"Oh. Um…yeah, you can. It glows, remember? It'll be easy to spot," he replied.

The three of them kept going. Sure enough, it wasn't long before the glowing circle came into view. As they drew closer, Kairi got Sora's attention again. "Something interesting up there?" she asked.

He looked surprised. "Huh?"

"You've spent the whole walk staring at the stars," Kairi reminded him.

"Oh. That."

He suddenly looked a little sad. "I didn't notice this before, but the stars are different," he said.

"What about it?" asked Riku.

Sora stopped walking. "In every one of the worlds I've visited, the stars were the same. Sometimes, they were in different places, but it was still the same sky. It was the one thing they all had in common. But here…"

He pointed upward. "I don't recognize these at all. All the stars that Dad told me how to look for – the ones that can help you find your way if you get lost – aren't here. I can't find even one of them."

Riku thought about that for a moment. "It's an outer world," he reminded Sora. "It's not too surprising that its sky is different."

Sora looked down at the grass. "Yeah, I know. It's just weird, that's all. I'd almost forgotten how far away we really are."

Riku began walking again. "C'mon, Sora. We've got to tell Mickey about what you found out."

* * *

 

The screen flickered for a moment before showing the same room as last time. The King was nowhere to be seen, but someone's feathery white tail was visible from behind a bookshelf. Angry muttering could be heard in the background.

Sora waited a moment, wondering if this was a bad time. Eventually, though, he spoke up. "That you, Donald?" he asked.

There was a loud thump, followed by a series of noises that sounded like rustling paper. The duck backed out of the corner and turned towards the trio. "What's this all about?" he asked, sounding irritated. "I'm trying to organize my stuff!"

"Sorry," said Kairi. "Should we wait for a better time?"

Donald shook his head. "No, don't worry about it. King Mickey just woke up a few hours ago. You want to check in, right?"

"A few hours?" Riku repeated. "It's the middle of the night over here."

"It's morning," said Donald. "Just stay there. I'll go get him."

A few minutes later, Mickey appeared onscreen. He was wearing a red bathrobe, and had half a muffin in one hand. "We're not interrupting, are we?" Sora asked.

"Naw, it's fine. I was almost done anyway," Mickey assured them. "Besides, breakfast can wait. Your report can't."

He sat down in front of the screen on his end. "So what's up?" he asked. "Have you found the Heartless?"

"No, but they're not just sitting around anymore," Sora said, grimly. "We have a victim."

Mickey's expression suddenly turned serious. "I see. Is it just one guy?"

"I think so," Sora replied. "They're still staying out of sight. I went with Ed and Al to investigate, but we didn't find any."

"That's a shame," Mickey said, quietly. "Do you have any idea where they might be hiding?"

Sora thought about that. So far, the only casualty had been a sanitation worker in the sewers below Central. Had the other attacks taken place near openings that led underground? He wasn't sure, but he thought so. "They're under the capital, I think," he said.

Kairi looked surprised for a moment. Soon, though, the surprise was replaced with excitement. "You're right!" she exclaimed. "All the attacks have been near storm drains or other holes in the ground. That must be it!"

"That sounds about right," said Mickey. "How far away is the capital? Can you get there without much trouble?"

"Not really," Sora admitted. "It's a few hours by train, and they'd notice us missing if we used the ship."

Mickey frowned. "That's a shame. Still, I bet you guys can figure something out. If you ever need backup, just give the word. I'm sure Donald and Goofy would be happy to help you out."

Sora wasn't sure what the people here would make of a walking, talking duck and dog. People in most worlds hadn't seemed to notice anything odd, but he already knew that Amestris was different. "Not just yet," he said. "I'll let you know if we need them."

"Got it," replied Mickey.

He paused for a moment "Riku, you've been awfully quiet. Is something wrong?"

Riku looked back at Mickey. "Actually, yeah. I've got a question."

Mickey nodded. "Ask away."

Riku suddenly appeared nervous. He looked away for a moment, then back at the King. "It's about what you told us before. Y'know, about not telling anyone where we're from."

"What about it?"

"I understand the reasoning, but…"

Riku sighed. "Look, our explanations are getting flimsier every day. The people we're staying with aren't stupid. They know we're hiding something. It's only a matter of time before they confront us."

Mickey nodded. "I see. You want my permission to tell them, right?"

"Exactly. They told us a lot about their lives already – stuff that you don't tell just anyone. With that in mind, I don't think it's right to keep secrets from them."

He looked away, still looking nervous. "I understand how difficult it'll be to explain, but I think – "

"Go ahead," said Mickey.

Riku stopped talking. He stared at the screen, eyes wide. "What?"

Mickey smiled. "I said go ahead. If you wanna tell them that badly, then I trust you not to make a mess of it."

A faint smile appeared on Riku's face. "Thanks. I'll be sure that they're the only ones to hear about it."

"Your Majesty, are you really OK with this?" Kairi asked.

"Well, rules are there for a reason," Mickey admitted. "Usually it's best not to break them. But sometimes there are other things that are more important. Think about it. If your friends don't trust you, then how are they gonna help you keep their world safe?"

"Good point," Sora murmured.

After a brief pause, Mickey continued. "Is that everything?" he asked.

"I think so," said Sora.

"Gotcha. I guess I'll be seeing you later."

Sora nodded "You too. Tell the others that I said hi."

"Of course. Good luck finding the Heartless!"

The screen went black. Sora yawned loudly, and headed towards the warp device. "C'mon, let's go," he said. "I'm exhausted. If I stay here much longer, I think I'll collapse."

Riku chuckled. "Same here. Let's get some sleep."

* * *

 

Winry woke up suddenly, covered in sweat and breathing heavily. It took her a moment to realize that the nightmare she'd been having was over. It wasn't anything new – they'd come up occasionally since the Promised Day. But this one had been the most vivid she'd had in a long time.

She quickly realized that she wasn't going to be sleeping again for a while. Even if she managed to calm down and get back to sleep, the nightmare would probably pick up where it had left off. She pulled back the sheets and stepped out of bed.

She made her way down the hall, trying to get through without turning the lights on. Her throat felt dry, so she figured she'd go to the kitchen and get some water. She walked past the bathroom, past the workroom, past the open door to the spare room.

Wait a minute.

She stopped, and looked back at the spare room. Sure enough, the door was standing wide open. She entered the room, and turned on the lights.

No one was there.

Winry immediately began going over the possibilities. Had they left? No, she didn't think they'd do that without telling anyone. Had they been kidnapped? Not likely. It couldn't have been a bathroom trip, because why would all three of them go at once?

She ran downstairs, and began turning on lights. The kitchen was empty. So was the living room. She tried each room, one by one. Nothing. They weren't in the house.

She went to the coat hanger, grabbed a jacket, and ran outside. It was silent. The cloudless sky was full of stars, and the field outside the house was lit only by moonlight. Winry didn't see anyone, let alone their guests. Where were they, and why had they left in the middle of the night?

There was just enough moonlight to see by, so Winry began looking around the area. The porch was empty. So was the balcony by the workroom. She looked at the left side of the house, then the right. Still nothing. "This isn't funny," she muttered to herself.

She ran around to the back. Nothing there, either. After a bit more searching, she reluctantly decided that this was fruitless. She'd check again in the morning, when the sun was up. Maybe they'd even be back by then.

Just then, a beam of light shot down from the sky, touching the ground a few hundred feet away. It stayed there for a second or two, and then it disappeared completely. Winry stood still, staring at the place where the light had been. She had half a mind to run back to the house and forget about it, but her curiosity won out. She had to find out what that was. She took a few cautious steps forward before breaking into a sprint.

It wasn't long before she began to hear voices. "Guess we'll tell them tomorrow, then?" someone said.

Winry stopped, having recognized the speaker. That was definitely Sora. And if he was there, Riku and Kairi were probably with him. Within seconds, those suspicions were confirmed. "Guess so," Riku said. "I just hope they actually believe us."

They were close enough now that Winry could see their silhouettes approaching the house. Suddenly they stopped. "There's someone there," said Sora.

"Damn right there is," shouted Winry. "What's going on? I thought you were asleep!"

The three of them froze. Winry ran over to them, and looked Sora straight in the eye. "What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?" she demanded.

The trio exchanged worried looks. "And what was that light?" continued Winry. "Did you do that?"

Sora let out a deep sigh. "We were planning to tell you in the morning," he said, sounding ashamed.

"Tell me what?" Winry yelled. "What the hell have you three been hiding?"

None of them had ever seen Winry like this before. Her whole presence had changed. She seemed completely different – upset, confused, and obviously angry. "We've been hiding a lot of things," Riku admitted. "But we're on your side. That hasn't changed. It's just that the issue is a lot bigger than what we'd said before."

"That's not the problem," Winry snapped. "The problem is that you lied to everyone!"

"We didn't lie," Sora said, avoiding Winry's gaze. "We left out a lot of things, but the only thing we ever lied about was where we're from. Everything else is true."

Winry took a step closer, fists clenched. "How is that any better than lying? You still weren't honest, were you?"

Kairi looked towards the ground, a pained look on her face. "Look, can this wait until morning?" she asked. "We're all really tired. I promise that we'll tell you everything after we get a chance to sleep. You and everyone else.

Winry glared at them. "You'd better," she said, coldly.


	11. No More Secrets

Sora woke up fairly early the next morning. A quick look around the room revealed that Kairi was absent – probably elsewhere in the house. Riku appeared to still be asleep. It didn't take long at all for Sora to remember what had happened the previous night. The thought that something would slip had always been a possibility, but he'd never imagined it would happen like this. He couldn't think of a worse way to have their cover blown.

He stood up and left the room, moving slowly to avoid making noise. He wasn't sure what to expect from everyone. Had Winry already told the Elric brothers about last night? He hoped that they wouldn't be too upset. Considering Winry's reaction, though, that might be too much to expect.

He paused at the top of the staircase, bracing himself for the worst. A few seconds later, he walked down to the first floor.

It was oddly quiet. Edward, Winry, and Kairi appeared to be having breakfast, but there was no conversation. The three of them didn't even look at each other.

Eventually, Winry looked up from her oatmeal and noticed Sora. "Morning," Sora announced, nervously.

"Is Riku still asleep?" Winry asked.

"Yeah," Sora replied.

"He'd better get up soon. Grandma's on the phone checking in with a patient, and I think Al is taking a shower. They'll both be out in a few minutes, so you should get ready to explain everything."

After a brief pause, Winry stood up suddenly and slammed her hands down onto the table. "Sora, go wake him up!" she shouted.

Sora recoiled slightly. "S-sure…"

He ran back up the stairs and into the spare room. "Riku, wake up!" he said, loudly.

Riku sat up quickly. "What?"

"Everyone's ready, and they're expecting an explanation. We need to tell them the truth."

Riku sighed. "Right, that. Just give me a minute."

Sora returned to the kitchen. Kairi and Edward had left the table, but Winry was still there. Her bowl was no less full than it had been when he'd left. She seemed more discouraged than angry right now. She hadn't even looked at him when he'd entered the room. "Winry, are you OK?" he asked, a little concerned.

She glanced over at him, and then back at the table. "Of course not," she grumbled. "I barely slept at all after finding you three."

Sora's existing sense of guilt grew stronger. "Are you still mad at us?" he asked.

"I've cooled off a lot since then," Winry admitted. "But I'm still not happy about all this. I don't think there's any chance I'll be okay until I know what's really going on."

Sora nodded. "I understand."

As her turned around to leave, Alphonse stepped through the doorway. His hair was damp, so he'd probably just gotten out of the shower. "Riku's out of bed, and Pinako is ready," he informed them. "We're all in the living room."

* * *

 

As soon as everyone was seated, all eyes turned to the trio. "First off, I'm really sorry that we weren't honest about all this," said Kairi. "It wasn't fair to you, especially after you told us so much about yourselves."

"We were planning to tell you today anyway," Riku added.

Edward rolled his eyes. "Just cut the excuses and start talking," he said, sharply. "Who are you people? Where'd you really come from, and why are you here?"

"Promise you'll believe us?" asked Kairi.

"Yeah, sure. Just tell us the truth this time."

Sora hesitated for a moment. "Here's the thing. When we said we weren't from around here, we weren't kidding. We're not. We're from another world."

It took a few seconds for that to sink in. "Another world?" Alphonse repeated. "You can't be serious."

Edward gave them a skeptical look. "You mean from space? You're aliens or something?"

"Another world," Riku corrected. "Not another planet. We're just as human as you are."

"The Heartless came from other worlds, too," Sora continued. "When I said they were dangerous, I meant it. They're monsters that prey on people's hearts. That's enough trouble on its own, but there's more. Each world has something like a heart. If the Heartless manage to find it, the entire world is taken by darkness."

"And now they're here," said Pinako, grimly.

"Exactly," said Kairi.

She took a moment to choose her words. "About a year and a half ago, the Heartless came to our world, and it was overrun in just one night. Sora and Riku were lucky and ended up in other worlds. And I…"

She looked over at Sora. "Well, we can explain the details later," she said, quietly.

Sora continued. "Pretty soon, I found out that I'd been chosen to wield a special weapon and fight against the Heartless," he explained.

He extended his arm towards the others, and opened his hand. "I'll show you."

His Keyblade appeared in his hand, along with the usual flash of light. The others reacted with surprise. For a split second, everyone stared at it. Riku tapped Sora's shoulder. "Hey, have you used this since we fought Xemnas?" he asked.

Sora turned towards him. "Not really. Why?"

"Weren't you using Ultima Weapon?"

Sora examined the Kingdom Key he was using. "You're right. Wonder why it changed back?"

Meanwhile, Edward was holding back laughter. "That's your weapon?" he remarked. "A giant key? Seriously?"

"Well…yeah," Sora replied.

He was a bit off-put by that comment. Sure, it was a little weird, but no one had ever pointed it out like that. "I guess I was expecting something a bit more impressive," Edward continued. "Like a huge, glowing spear, or maybe a sword that catches on fire when you say the right magic words. Something that would strike fear into your enemies and make them think twice about picking a fight. This looks more like a stage prop."

Winry grabbed a nearby pillow and whacked Edward with it. "Cut it out," she snapped. "We're here to listen, not to make fun of his weapon of choice."

She took a closer look at the Keyblade. "You're right, though, it does look impractical. Sora, do you use it like a club?"

"It cuts things like a sword," Sora corrected. "I'm not sure how, since it's not sharp…but it does."

He recalled the weapon, and continued. "It works like a regular key, too. It can undo any lock you want."

A quick look around the room made it clear that the residents were finding it harder and harder to believe him. He didn't blame them, but he'd have to think of some way to convince them that he was serious. "I can prove it if you want," he said, defensively.

"Maybe later," said Winry.

Pinako picked up from there. "So what's so special about it? Why is it that you need it to fight these Heartless?"

"Well, only certain people are able to use them," explained Sora. "Me, and Riku and Kairi…we all can. You can fight them with other weapons, but they don't work as well. If you're not using a Keyblade, it won't really destroy the Heartless. They'll just come back later."

This explanation didn't seem to alleviate anyone's skepticism, so he continued. "So basically, when our world was destroyed, I found two other guys who'd been sent to find someone with a Keyblade. The three of us were supposed to go to other worlds and protect them from the Heartless. If you find the "Keyhole" of a world – the way to its heart, basically – the Keyblade can seal it. Once it's sealed, the Heartless can't get to it, and they'll leave once they figure that out. So I went with my friends to do that. We also were looking for Riku and Kairi, along with the guy who'd told my friends to help me out."

He motioned to Riku and Kairi. "We did find them, but it wasn't easy. There was a lot of stuff going on, and all three of us got caught up in it."

"Eventually, Sora was able to restore the worlds that the Heartless had taken, but it took more than a year before we could all go home," Kairi continued. "Like he said, there's a lot that happened. Explaining it all would take a while, but we'll tell you if you want to hear."

Alphonse nodded. "I'd like that. I think it'd make a lot more sense if we heard the whole story."

Before anyone else could continue, Edward spoke up. "If you were able to go back home, why'd you leave again?" he asked.

"You know the guy that Sora mentioned? The one who sent his friends to find him? His name's Mickey, and he's their king," Riku explained. "This world – your world – isn't like the others. It's very isolated, and it's far away from any of the ones we'd seen. Until recently, no one knew it existed at all. So when Mickey found out that there were Heartless here, he sent us to figure out how to get rid of them."

"Mickey, huh?" remarked Edward. "You're on a first-name basis with your king?"

"He's not our king," Riku corrected. "It's a pretty small kingdom, and our home isn't a part of it. Besides, if you're picturing some stuck-up aristocrat, you're way off. He's the kind of guy that prefers for people to use his name."

"Winry, when you saw us last night, we'd been telling him how things were going. We have to go back to our ship to contact him, and the light shows up when we do that," Kairi explained.

After a long pause, Alphonse continued the conversation. "So why didn't you tell us this?" he asked.

"Because just walking up and saying 'Hi, we're interdimensional travelers, can you show us the way to the legions of darkness' wouldn't have made a good impression," Riku reminded him.

Sora shrugged. "Something like that. Since this world is so far away from the others, the King thought it'd be best to avoid telling anyone where we were from."

Another long pause. "I'm not sure what to think of this," Winry confessed. "You're really telling the truth? You're not just making this up to screw with us?"

"Of course we're not!" Sora protested. "The only time I lied was when I said I was from the islands to the south. Everything else I told you was true."

Pinako chuckled. "That wasn't a very good lie, either. I've never met anyone from around there, but I have seen one or two people from southern Aerugo. They don't look anything like you three."

Winry gave her a surprised look. "You knew they were lying?"

"I figured as much," Pinako confirmed. "Only reason I didn't say anything is because they seemed too clueless to be dangerous."

"Guess we didn't blend in too well," Sora admitted.

Edward frowned. "Still, this is all pretty hard to believe. I'd call it total crap, but it explains too much for that to be the case. I mean, how else could you get this far into a country without even knowing its name?"

"It also explains why you didn't have any money or supplies with you," added Alphonse. "That never made sense to me."

Riku shrugged. "Whether you buy it or not doesn't change the truth. The Heartless are still here, and if something isn't done, you'll lose everything. Ask us to leave if you want. We'll do our job with or without your help."

Kairi glared at him. "Riku!"

"I'm serious, Kairi. Making friends is just fine, but our mission comes first. If that doesn't get done, then nothing else matters."

He was right – Kairi knew that. But still, something about his attitude rubbed her the wrong way. "You don't need to say it like that, though," she replied, her voice little more than a whisper.

Winry quickly changed the subject. "Something's bugging me," she interjected. "You keep talking about the Heartless destroying worlds. You don't really mean whole worlds, do you? There's no way anything could do that!"

"That's what they do, though," said Sora. "Not just your town or your country. Everything you know would be gone. Chances are that you'd go with it."

"You're saying everyone on the whole planet would just die?" Edward repeated, his voice cold.

"You'd disappear into the darkness along with this world," Sora confirmed. "It's not the same as dying, but it would mean being frozen in time until the world was restored."

"There's no guarantee that that would ever happen, either," Riku added. "Ours did, and so did the others that were lost, but the circumstances were unique. I'm not sure if it could be repeated."

A look of horror appeared on Winry's face. "No…" she murmured.

Her composure began to crumble, as if someone had hit a switch. Her fists clenched tight, and her eyes squeezed shut. "That can't happen," she said, her voice trembling. "How is that even possible? It doesn't make sense! How can anything…how do we…how are we supposed to – "

"WINRY!"

Pinako stood up, and put her hands on her granddaughter's shoulders. Their eyes met for a few seconds, both of them suddenly silent. "Pull yourself together," Pinako said, her voice calm, but firm. "If this is true – and I'm still not sure I believe it is – then the whole reason these three are here is to stop that from happening."

"She's right," said Alphonse, gently. "I'm worried too, but it's way too early to give up. It's not like you to do that."

Winry stood still for a moment. The sudden outburst had caught the trio off-guard, and at that moment none of them dared to intervene. Eventually, she took a deep breath, and tried to calm down. "Yeah," she agreed. "It's just…everything is finally back to normal. I guess I'd assumed it would stay that way."

Kairi found herself remembering what the others had talked about the previous night, about everything that had happened to them. This wasn't the first time they'd been in danger of losing everything. The nationwide circle's activation came to mind almost immediately. Had things gone differently, that fate would have been worse than the current threat, at least on an individual level. Kairi's parents didn't remember the Heartless attacking. Neither did anyone else. As far as they'd known, all their victims had just disappeared overnight. None of the residents were aware of what had happened, and so they hadn't suffered in that regard. But the people used to create Stones…she could hardly stand to think about that.

"I don't blame you. The idea of everything just disappearing isn't something I'd like to dwell on," Edward replied.

He turned towards the trio. "I want to hear the whole story," he said. "Everything that's happened since your home was attacked. I still don't know what to make of all this, and there's a lot that doesn't make sense."

"That's understandable," replied Riku.

Sora nodded in agreement. "I guess it's only fair. I mean, you told us about what's happened to you."

"Exactly," said Edward. "It's your turn. Start talking."

* * *

 

They began with the day before the islands were attacked. From there onward, it was Sora who did most of the talking. Partway through, Riku had advised him to spend less time describing the details of each world and more time explaining what had happened. After that, it went a lot more quickly. He got up to the Door being closed, and began to describe what happened afterward. "So after that, I went with Donald and Goofy to look for Riku and the King," said Sora. "But then…"

He paused for a moment. This was where the gap in his memory started, and he still wasn't totally clear on why it was there. Before he could say anything else, though, Edward interrupted. "Alright, so there's something I don't get," he said. "What's up with all this stuff about hearts?"

Kairi turned towards him, not sure what he meant. "You're going to have to be more specific," she told him.

"The heart is an organ that circulates blood through the body. It's true that you need it to stay alive, but it's got nothing to do with emotions or personality. The brain takes care of that," Edward reminded them.

Sora seemed a bit annoyed by that. "I know that," he replied, defensively. "I got a B in biology class. The word's the same, but the kind of heart we're talking about is different."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Edward responded.

Alphonse still seemed confused. "Is this kind of heart connected to the soul?" he asked. "I mean, it has to be. I was the same person without my body as I am right now."

"I'm not sure," Sora admitted. "I thought they were two different things, but…"

He turned towards Riku. "Any ideas?"

"That's what I'd been told," said Riku.

Winry glanced over at Sora. "Aren't you going to keep going?" she reminded him. "You haven't finished explaining. We can sort this stuff out when you're done."

So Sora continued. He'd set out with his friends. After that, though, there was nothing. The next thing he remembered was waking up with his friends in a world he'd never been to. That got some pretty strange looks from the rest of them until Riku cut in to explain. He told them that Sora had been caught up in a series of events that he was largely unaware of. By the time he knew what was going on, his memory had been significantly altered. In order to recover, he'd slept for almost a year. It wasn't supposed to take that long, but things had become complicated. The end result was that he didn't remember what had happened.

From there, Sora took over. He talked about the worlds he'd visited, his struggle against Organization XIII, and his continued search for his friends. At some points, Kairi explained what she'd been up to, and Riku joined in when they got to the events of the World that Never Was. Finally, they ended with their return to Destiny Islands. "Since then, things have been pretty much normal," said Kairi. "Or they were, until we were asked to come here."

After a brief pause, Pinako spoke up. "That's the whole story?" she asked.

"Pretty much," Sora confirmed.

"It's…umm…" Winry began.

She paused. "It's a lot to take in," she confessed. "I've got no idea what to think."

"Do you believe us, though?" asked Kairi.

"I think so. It sounds crazy, but…"

She shifted a bit in her seat. "Hey, could one of you make your weapon appear again? I want another look."

Sora nodded, and his Keyblade reappeared in his hand. "How do you do that, exactly?" Winry asked.

By this point, Sora had done this so much that he didn't really think about it. "I, uh…sort of…call out to it? I dunno, I just focus on making it appear, and it does. I don't know how it works," he said.

"Something like that isn't supposed to be possible," Alphonse noted. "Even with alchemy, you'd have to carry around the materials to make it with."

"Given the way he's holding it, it doesn't seem very heavy, either," Winry observed. "Something that size shouldn't be so easy to carry. You'd probably need two hands even if the metal was something lightweight."

She stared at the Keyblade a little longer. "You wouldn't happen to know what it's made of, would you?"

"No idea," Sora replied. "You're right about the weight, though. I don't have any trouble carrying it."

Figuring they'd seen enough, he recalled his weapon. "From what you've told us, the Heartless usually attack quickly," Alphonse pointed out.

"You're wondering why they haven't been running around in the open," Riku guessed.

"Exactly."

Riku shook his head. "Sorry, but we don't know yet. It's pretty unusual, so there's got to be a reason."

"You'd better figure it out quickly," Pinako reminded them.

"Yeah, I know," muttered Sora.

He looked around the room, trying to figure out what everyone was thinking. "Anything else you'd like to ask?"

"Just one thing," replied Edward.

He looked straight at Sora. "Need any help?"

Sora's eyes widened. For a moment, he looked surprised, but that quickly gave way to relief. "You want to help?" asked Kairi. "I thought you didn't want to get mixed up in things like this anymore."

"That was the plan," Edward confirmed. "Given the circumstances, though, I don't think I have much choice."

A hint of a smile appeared on the boy's face. "I mean, the whole world's on the line. I'm not the kind of guy who could just ignore something like that."

Kairi beamed. "Glad to hear it."

She looked over at Alphonse, then at Winry and Pinako. "What about the rest of you?"

"Count me in," said Alphonse. "I'd be stupid not to."

"Same," agreed Winry. "I'll figure out some way to help."

Pinako sighed. "I hate that it has to be you kids who do all the work," she grumbled. "Couldn't you get help from the military? They're the ones who signed up for this kind of thing. It's worth trying."

"Would they believe us? Even if they did, they've never even seen Heartless. There would probably be heavy casualties even if they did manage to hold their own," Riku reminded her.

Sora thought for a moment. "I think the first thing we should do is find the Keyhole," he suggested. "If I can just seal it, then they won't be able to destroy this world. Once they figure that out, they'll leave."

"Sounds like a plan," said Edward. "Besides, it'd take too long to hunt them all down ourselves."

"We'd have to find the Keyhole first," Riku pointed out. "Sora, most of the worlds you've been to are a lot smaller than this one. Either that, or you only saw a small part."

"He's got a point," Pinako noted. "We don't have time to search the whole world for this thing, especially since we've got no idea where to look."

"I bet it's somewhere in Amestris, at least. If it was somewhere else, then why did we land here?" said Sora.

Winry gave him an odd look. "You don't choose where to land?"

"Not the first time. I think it just sends you wherever you need to be," Sora explained.

"You sure?" asked Riku. "Did you ever confirm that with anyone?"

"Well…no. But that's how it seems."

He looked back at the others. "Anyway, I doubt it's on the other side of the world or anything. We should be able to find it somewhere in this country."

"Any ideas where?" asked Alphonse. "Amestris is still pretty big, so we can't just look everywhere."

"Might as well start here," Kairi suggested.

Pinako shook her head. "This is a small town. It's got no major significance to the country as a whole. Our main industry is wool, for crying out loud! Why would something so important be in a place like this?"

Sora gave that some thought. She was probably right, but it still couldn't hurt to look. "Is there a library here?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Edward. "What, you want to do some research?"

"Why not?" Sora replied.

"True," said Winry. "I can show you the way there if you'd like."

She paused. "Just give me some time, OK? I'm not ready to run around town just yet."

"After lunch?" Kairi suggested.

It was still fairly early, so that would give them a few hours. Winry nodded. "Sure. We'll go after lunch."


	12. Starting Point

"But they're still alive, right?" Edward pointed out.

"Yeah, but without a heart, you can't feel anything," said Sora. "It's not much of a life if you can't enjoy it."

"That's a pretty lousy excuse for killing them," replied Edward.

His words caught Sora off-guard. "I…" he began.

Edward gave him an expectant look. Sora waited a moment later, and then shook his head. "It's not like that. It wasn't because they were Nobodies. I took down the Organization because of all the trouble they were causing. If wanting hearts was all there was to it, then it wouldn't have been a problem. It was what they were doing to get to that goal. They were hurting people, and they didn't even think twice about it."

His expression hardened. "And Xemnas…he just wanted power. He didn't care about his subordinates, or about the damage he caused. He didn't even remember what it was like to feel anything besides anger or hatred. Some of the others might not have been so bad, but he was horrible."

The fight with Xemnas was still clear in his mind. At one point he'd been suspended in midair, unable to move or fight back. It'd felt like his heart was being torn away. It'd been less than a minute before Riku stopped it, but it had seemed like far longer. He shuddered at the memory. "I don't think I had a choice."

Edward was quiet, giving no indication of what he thought. Eventually, he got up off the porch steps and leaned against the outside of the house. "You mad at me?" Sora asked.

"Not really," replied Edward. "I wasn't there, so it wouldn't be fair to judge. I just wanted to know how you saw it."

"Fair enough," Sora responded.

He stood up, and walked up to the door. "I'll go see what everyone else is up to. We already had lunch, so we're off schedule as is."

After the door closed, someone's voice could be heard from inside. Edward couldn't quite catch what was said, but the conversation didn't take long. A few seconds later, the door opened again. "Brother?"

"Over here," Edward answered.

Alphonse stepped out the door and sat down next to the outside wall. "Does any of this make sense to you?" he asked.

"It makes more sense than it did at first," said Edward.

"But it's still pretty weird. I mean, I believe them, but…"

Alphonse trailed off. "I know what you mean," Edward agreed. "It's hard to imagine there being whole other worlds out there."

"Yeah, it is. It must've been pretty cool to go see them."

"That part, yeah. Not the other stuff that went with it. I'm surprised that Sora is still so cheerful all the time."

Alphonse looked out at the field, his expression hard to read. "He's not," he said. "Not always."

"Of course not always, but there isn't much that keeps him down. I'm surprised he hasn't changed more after all he's been through."

"Maybe he has. It's been less than a week since the three of them showed up here. All we know is the way they are now," Alphonse reminded him.

"Good point."

Over the years, Edward had hardly met anyone who'd had it easy in life. Everyone had baggage of some kind, and they all carried it differently. Sora and his friends were probably the same way. "It's fragile," he said suddenly.

Alphonse glanced back at him. "What is?" he asked.

"That kind of mindset. Continuing to smile even when it's not easy. Someday, reality is going to hit him hard. Something's going to happen that he doesn't know how to deal with," explained Edward.

"You're probably right," Alphonse replied. "I guess when the time comes, the real test will be how he reacts. If it doesn't break him, he'll come out stronger."

He paused. "If he was the type to break easily, he wouldn't have made it so far. As long as he has friends to support him, I think he'll be fine."

* * *

 

Riku closed the book, and put it back into the stack where he found it. "You done?" Kairi asked.

"Yeah."

He walked back to the chair he'd been sitting in. "So?" Kairi continued. "How was it?"

"Stupid. It was a lot more entertaining when I was half-asleep," answered Riku.

"If you want something better, I've got plenty of recommendations," said Winry.

She stood at the edge of the room, having entered without the others' notice. "Wait, this is your book?" answered Riku, surprised.

"It's Grandma's. She used to read a lot from that author a few years back."

Kairi was skeptical. From what Riku had described, she had a hard time picturing Pinako reading something like this. "Really?"

"Yes really. Speaking of books, are you guys ready to check out the library? I mean, we already had lunch. I can take you whenever you feel like it."

"I think I'm ready," said Kairi. "I'll go find Sora and see if he is."

She found him in the spare room, sitting by his spot on the floor. He was facing the window, apparently deep in thought. Kairi hesitated for a few seconds before trying to get his attention. "Sora?"

He was clearly taken by surprise – Kairi swore she saw him jump a little. He looked back at her. "Is it time to go yet?" he asked.

"Winry is ready when we are," answered Kairi.

Sora stood up. "I'm ready," he said. "You too, right?"

"I wouldn't be coming to get you if I wasn't."

Kairi started towards the door. "So we're going to the library with Winry to look for information on landmarks or other important places, right?" asked Sora.

Kairi turned back towards him. "Yeah, because one of them might be where the Keyhole is. Riku's going to look around town with Ed and Al and look for anything that might be relevant. We already worked this out."

"Yeah, OK."

Kairi crossed her arms and frowned slightly. "Sora, what's wrong?"

Sora looked back at her, a bit surprised. "I can't hide anything from you, can I?"

"Nope. Fortunately, I'm willing to listen if you're willing to talk about it."

Sora smiled for a moment before returning to a thoughtful expression. "I was talking to Ed about Organization XIII, and that reminded me about something."

"What?"

"I've been thinking lately, about Roxas. You know, what happened to him. I know he didn't disappear, but I feel bad that he couldn't just stay himself."

Kairi was a bit surprised. This was a bit of an odd topic, and she hadn't been expecting Sora to bring it up. "But that's not your fault at all," she reminded him.

"I know, but it's not fair. I wish I could've at least met him."

Sora paused. "You know what's weird? That one time I saw him, in the Organization's world…I felt like I'd seen him before."

"That's not weird. He's your Nobody. Of course he'd seem familiar."

"No, it's different than that. It's his voice, too. I feel like I've heard that voice before, but I can't figure out when."

He'd tried to remember once or twice. Nothing much came to mind. Once, he thought he'd remembered something – something bright. But he wasn't sure if it was real, or just something he'd imagined. Maybe it had been a dream?

Kairi interrupted his thoughts. "Sora, we should get going," she reminded him. "If you still want to talk later, I'll listen."

"Alright. Thanks, Kairi."

The two of them left the room and walked back downstairs. Winry had clearly gotten impatient in their absence. "I was just about to go check on you," she told them.

She was standing next to the staircase with a bag slung over one shoulder. "So you're ready to go?" she continued.

"Ready," Kairi confirmed. "Is it much of a walk?"

"Not too far. It's a few blocks away from the store where we first met."

The three of them left the house and started towards that part of town. "Did the others already leave?" asked Sora.

"They left right before you two finished talking," Winry explained.

Kairi wasn't sure what there was to find around here. She doubted that Riku and the brothers would find the Keyhole or anything else relevant. Her doubt must have shown somehow, because Sora seemed to notice. "It's worth a try," he assured her.

"I guess."

The next few minutes went by without conversation. Eventually, after the grass gave way to paved sidewalk, someone broke the silence. "Kairi, are you sure it was a good idea for you to come here?" asked Winry. "This world, I mean. It doesn't sound like you have much experience."

"I wasn't going to at first," replied Kairi. "I went to the castle to find out what Sora and Riku were going to be doing. I only came with them because the King suggested it."

A smile made its way onto her face. "Actually, I was kind of hoping for that chance."

"Wait, you did want to come?" exclaimed Sora.

"Yes, I did," Kairi confirmed.

"Why didn't you just say that in the first place?"

"Why do you think? I knew that you and Riku would rather I stayed at home. I wasn't sure I could convince you otherwise."

She let out a frustrated sigh. "Besides, the letter didn't mention me, so I wasn't sure if it was something I could handle."

Winry chuckled. "Well, I'm glad you're here. It's good to have another girl my age to talk to."

As they moved further down the street, though, Kairi reminded the others that they should wait until later to talk about things like this. As quiet as the streets were, they were still in public. With that in mind, the conversation died down, and the three of them remained silent until they reached their destination.

It was a plain, unassuming building, made from brick and concrete. Metal lettering above the doors spelled out PUBLIC LIBRARY. Below that, a wooden double door marked the entrance. Two small windows were visible, one on either side of the door. The sides of the building were lined with scraggly green shrubs, and a small fountain stood in front. The fountain bowl was covered in a thin layer of dirt, making it clear that the water hadn't run in a long time. "Looks a bit shabby," Sora remarked.

"It's old," said Winry. "Last I checked, they were trying to raise money for renovations, but I'm not sure how well it's going."

The building turned out to be a bit more inviting on the inside. The wooden desks at the front were well-used, but also well-crafted. A few signs could be seen directing visitors to various sections, and a circle of padded chairs was placed in an otherwise open area. The walls were covered with patterned wallpaper aside from a few brick sections. A number of visitors could be seen looking at shelves, or flipping through pages off to the side.

Winry walked up to the front desk, motioning for the others to follow. She tapped on the desk, and the librarian turned around. He was a thin middle-aged man wearing khaki pants and a collared shirt, his reddish hair just beginning to gray. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"Do you know where I could find books on landmarks or history?" asked Winry.

The librarian nodded. "That's easy. Just let me write down the numbers you want to look for. Do you know your way around here, miss?"

"I do. Thanks for your help."

The librarian wrote something on a pad of paper, tore off the page, and handed it to Winry. The writing was a bit messy, but it was still legible. Sora peered over her shoulder. "You know where this is, right?" he asked.

"Like I said, I know my way around. We can figure out how to split the job once we get there," answered Winry.

"You mean we each tackle one or two subjects?" asked Sora.

"That would work. Let's head over and get it sorted out."

* * *

 

The other group was still wandering around the field. Pinako had insisted that they bring Den along, since she hadn't been walked yet. The dog had reached the point where her initial energy had started to die down, and had spent the last few minutes quietly padding alongside Alphonse.

At the moment, he, Edward, and Riku weren't going anywhere specific. They'd decided that looking for Heartless would be more productive than looking for the Keyhole. Pinako had a point – it probably wasn't here. So far, though, they'd had no luck with either.

"So how long has Winry had that dog anyway?" asked Riku, motioning towards Den.

"About seven years, I think," answered Alphonse. "Someone found her wandering around with three legs, and brought her in. It was the first time Winry or Pinako had tried to make automail for anything besides humans, so they took it as a challenge.

Riku watched her for a few seconds. Her movement didn't seem much different from any other dog. "Looks like they did a good job," he noted.

"Sure seems like it," Alphonse agreed. "No one could figure out who she belonged to, so they just kept her."

"She's lucky she found a good home," said Riku.

He'd never had a pet before – his mom was allergic to almost everything. "That reminds me," he continued. "There was this one time when Kairi brought home this seagull. It was pretty little. Must've fallen out of its nest or something."

Edward was suddenly interested. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. She was…what, eight? Nine? She kept it in an open box in the backyard. The three of us took turns buying scraps from the fish markets to feed it with. You'd think a girl at that age wouldn't want to touch fish guts, but she didn't seem to mind as long as it helped the gull."

He smiled slightly, remembering that it was Sora who'd been squeamish about that. There'd been one time where he'd chased Sora around the yard with a particularly gruesome-looking fish head. If he remembered right, Kairi hadn't been too happy about that.

"So what happened to the bird?" asked Alphonse.

"It stayed in the yard for a few weeks, and then one day it was gone. We figured it'd taught itself to fly and left on its own."

Either that, or someone's cat had found it. The three of them had preferred to be optimistic. "So about Kairi…" said Edward. "You still don't know where she's from?"

"No. She remembers a few more things that she didn't know before the Heartless attacked, but nothing substantial," Riku explained. "We still don't know where she came from, or how she ended up in our world."

The group had reached the edge of a fence, so it was clear that they couldn't keep going forward. Alphonse suggested that they take a break, pointing out that Den had slowed down. The three of them sat down on the grass, and continued the conversation. "Has Sora found a kingdom with a missing princess?" asked Edward.

"She's a Princess of Heart," Riku reminded him. "Being actual royalty isn't a requirement."

He thought for a moment. "It does seem to be common, though. I know that five of the other six were. Not sure about Alice."

"So it'd be a good place to start, then," Edward pointed out.

"Sure, if finding her home was a priority. We've got other stuff to worry about at the moment."

"What, so she's not curious about it?"

"if she is, she's never brought it up."

Edward frowned slightly, but said nothing. Noting this, Riku continued. "She can't miss a place she doesn't remember," he added.

"If you say so," Edward replied.

It was clear that he wasn't entirely convinced, but neither of them felt like continuing on that topic. "Al, are you sure it was just the dog that needed a break?" he asked.

Alphonse looked startled. "You noticed."

"You slowed down about ten minutes ago, and you've seemed a bit out of breath since we stopped. You weren't doing a good job hiding it," said Edward.

"Sorry," muttered Alphonse. "I've been doing fine for a while now, so I didn't expect to get tired."

"Do you need to go back to the house?" asked Riku.

Alphonse shook his head. "No, I'll be fine. Just give me a few minutes."

Riku was a bit surprised. He'd known how long it had taken for Alphonse to recover after regaining his body, but he'd assumed that it was over with. After all, it'd been several months, and the younger boy looked perfectly normal to him. Apparently, stamina was still a problem. "Don't be afraid to tell someone if you're having a rough time," Riku reminded him. "It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I know," said Alphonse. "I just don't want to slow you down or anything."

"We're not in a hurry," Edward reminded him.

Alphonse nodded in agreement. "Good point."

Riku however, had noticed a problem. "What happens if we actually find Heartless?" he asked. "What would you do then?"

The looks on the brothers' faces made it clear that they hadn't thought of that. "Another good point," murmured Edward.

"I guess I'd just keep my distance and use alchemy to attack," said Alphonse. "There's plenty of material to work with around here."

"Good to know you have a plan," replied Riku.

The three of them didn't stay there much longer. As soon as everyone was ready, they got up and continued their search.

* * *

 

It was late afternoon before everyone was back home. Sora, Kairi, and Winry arrived last, carrying a sizeable load of books with them. As they entered the living room to unload their findings, Riku was the first to greet them. "Looks like you guys were successful," he observed.

"I hope so," replied Kairi. "What about you?"

"Nothing. No Heartless, no Keyhole, and nothing pointing to either of them."

Sora looked down at the floor, disappointed. "Oh…"

"You know, I think we're looking in the wrong places," Riku continued. "No one's spotted Heartless around here. All the sightings were around Central, right?"

"You're saying we should go there?" asked Kairi.

"Exactly," said Edward.

He jumped down the last few steps and joined the rest of them. "Riku and I were talking about this," he explained. "I think there's a reason that the Heartless are underground. Remember what we told you about the homunculi?"

"Yeah, you said…" Sora began.

The realization hit him. "That's where their base was!" he exclaimed. "That's where that Father guy was hiding all that time!"

He paused, and his enthusiasm dimmed. "But they're not there anymore," he recalled. "It's not like there'd be anyone there to command the Heartless."

"No, but it makes sense that they would be drawn to that place," Riku pointed out. "Father and the Homunculi were there for a long time. Maybe there are still traces of their presence. That might be what attracted the Heartless."

"Sounds plausible," said Winry. "But if that's the case, then why didn't the Heartless show up earlier, when they actually were there?"

"I doubt there's an easy answer to that," said Riku. "But now that we have some idea of where they are, I think we should go back to Central and have a look around the area. We need to have some idea of what we're up against."

Edward stared at him in disbelief. "You want to just charge in and check the place out? Do you have a death wish?"

"Of course not. They're dangerous, sure, but they're not too hard to deal with if you know what you're doing," Riku reminded him. "We wouldn't stay long, either – just long enough for a first impression."

Winry was clearly concerned. She showed signs of tension as obvious as neon signs. Still, she knew Riku was right. "Ed, you'll be going too, right?"

"Probably. I'll see what Al thinks, but I bet I already know."

Suddenly, Sora spoke up. "Hey, Riku? Kairi? Remember the first time we reported back to the King? He said that if we needed help, Donald and Goofy would be glad to come over."

Riku sighed. "Sora…"

"I think we need any help we can get."

Kairi didn't seem so sure, either. "Won't they stand out?"

"That's never been a problem before!"

"I'd say it's worth a try," said Winry.

Within seconds, all eyes were on her. "I mean, we'll see what happens. Didn't you say that some worlds change you when you visit them?" she continued.

"Yeah, but they stay the same even in worlds where no one looks like them," explained Sora.

He paused. "Come to think of it, it's weird that no one ever notices."

"Well, we can just let them know when we ask," said Kairi. "I mean, Donald is a wizard, right? I bet he can figure something out."

"Yeah, so let's go!" said Sora. "The sooner we ask, the sooner they can get over here!"

* * *

 

It had been a quiet day at Disney Castle, and now it was an equally quiet evening. It would be several more hours until anyone would be ready to sleep, so the castle's residents were still finishing up everything that needed doing. The king and queen were trying to work out plans for fixing up old buildings in town. Donald was trying to organize his spellbooks, and Goofy was repairing the training dummies from the day before.

Daisy, meanwhile, was taking a walk in the garden. She gave each of the plants a brief inspection, trying to figure out if any of them needed extra attention. There were never many that did, since the gardeners always did an excellent job keeping them healthy. Still it was worth checking every now and then.

She liked it here. She'd often come to unwind if the day had been particularly stressful – something that was more common than she would have liked. Today, it had more to do with her own personal concerns. She had plans for tonight, and she wanted everything to be perfect. As far as she knew, it already was. So why was it that she couldn't stop worrying? Two hours was hardly enough time for things to fall apart.

After checking a few more plants, she rushed back up towards her room. She was about halfway there when she noticed a familiar ringing sound. Another check-in? Hadn't they just called this morning? What more could they have to say?

Since everyone else was busy, it was probably best if she answered. Hopefully, someone else would come by eventually. She knew what the mission was about, but her knowledge of its progress was minimal.

Daisy opened the nearby door, ran over to the panel by the screen on the wall, and hit the green button. Onscreen, the trio's attention shifted towards her. "Something you need?" she asked, trying to appear calmer than she was.

"Hi," said Sora. "Can we talk to the king? We've got a favor to ask."

"He's busy, but he'll probably take a break if it's for you," replied Daisy. "I'll go get him."

She left the room, and rushed off to find him. It turned out that Mickey was already on his way over – in fact, the two almost slammed into each other in the hallway. "Did you pick up?" he asked her.

"Yes. Sora says he has something to ask you. Don't keep them waiting!"

"'Course not. Be right over."

He ran down the hall and into the room. "Sorry 'bout that," he said. "Something you wanted to know?"

"Sort of," said Sora. "I think we'll take you up on that offer for backup. Are Donald and Goofy OK with coming over here?"

"They sure are! Both of them have been hoping you'd ask. I'll…"

He stopped. "Actually, I think they'll have to leave in the morning."

"Is something happening tonight?" Kairi asked.

Mickey nodded. "I heard something about Donald going out to dinner with Daisy. She'll be furious if he can't make it. You're not in a hurry, are you?"

"Just as long as they can get here sometime tomorrow," said Riku. "We're going back to the capital in the morning. We'll be fine on our own this time, but after that it'd be best to have their help."

"Gotcha," said Mickey. "I'll ask the chipmunks about putting extra speed blocks on the ship to make up for it."

"That'd be great," said Sora.

After a brief silence, Mickey continued. "Did you tell your friends the truth about why you're there?" he asked.

"Actually, Winry saw us come down from the ship. We didn't have much choice," said Riku. "Luckily, we worked things out with them. They're willing to help in any way they can."

Mickey beamed. "Great!"

Sora waited for a moment. "Sorry to break the mood, but we think we know why the Heartless are underground. That's why we're going to Central. We aren't ready to see what's all the way down there, but we need to scope out the area."

"Good luck, then," said Mickey. "Try and keep them down there as long as possible. It'll make things a lot easier if they don't get out and hurt people."

"Of course," said Sora. "Tell Donald and Goofy that I can't wait to see them!"

"Will do. That all you wanted to say?"

The three of them exchanged looks. "That's it, Riku confirmed. "Talk later."

Before Mickey could end the conversation, Sora held out his hands and motioned for him to stop. "There's one last thing," he said.

"What's that?" asked Mickey.

Sora paused for a moment, trying to find the right way to say what he had in mind. "I think they'll need some way to disguise themselves," he said. "No one here looks anything like them."

Mickey tilted his head a bit to the side. "But Sora, isn't that the way it usually is?"

"Yeah, but something's telling me we can't get away with it this time. Just mention it to Donald. I bet he can handle it."

Mickey paused. "I will."

Kairi smiled at Mickey. "I think that's all," she said. "Thanks a lot!"

"You're welcome. See ya later!"

With that, Mickey hit the red button on the panel, and the screen went dark. He had no doubt that Sora, Riku, and Kairi would do all they could to protect the outer world. But at the same time, he couldn't help but worry – about them, and about other things.

This world was huge. Not only that, but there were tons of people living there. If a world like that fell to the Heartless, it was likely that their population would skyrocket. He knew that. He'd seen it happen once, and he wasn't about to let it happen again.


	13. Going Deeper

The rest of the day had been spent making plans for the next. Edward and Alphonse would go with Sora and Riku to Central. They'd spend some of the time gathering information. After that, they'd sneak underground and evaluate the scene. What they'd do from that point on would depend on what they found.

Kairi had decided not to go. She figured that with her lack of experience, it was better to wait until they had a clearer understanding of the situation. Besides, she wanted to look through the library books a bit more. Maybe she could figure something out while they were gone.

They'd all looked at the books earlier, and they'd planned to check out a few of the locations during the trip. Edward had spent some time looking at maps and planning the day. They'd probably spend most of the day there. Winry had made them promise to call if they thought they'd be back later than expected.

Everyone woke up early the next morning, whether intentionally or not. The plan was to leave the house at about 9:00, giving them plenty of time to buy tickets and catch the train on time. By the time everyone was up, they had about an hour and a half.

"Sora, do we have potions on the ship?" shouted Kairi.

"I think so," Sora shouted back. "You think we'll need them? I figured I'd just use Cure."

"Are you sure that magic works here? It's not like you've had the chance to try it."

Sora had no answer to that. He left the room and found Kairi in the hall. "Go test it," she suggested. "Fill the kitchen sink with water and use Blizzard or something."

"Have you seen all those dirty dishes? If I do that, I'll end up with a wrench to the face."

"Well, you know more about magic than I do," said Kairi. "I just figured it sounded less destructive than fire or lightning."

"I'll go outside and try Aero, then."

Sora walked off in the direction of the front door. As soon as he left the house, Edward and Alphonse came back in. "How'd the practice go?" asked Kairi.

The brothers had been sparring outside. It had been a while since they'd been in any fights, and they wanted to make sure they were prepared. "Pretty good," said Edward. "We decided it'd be best if Al makes some kind of weapon for me when we get there. It's not like there'll be any shortage of materials."

"Remind me to unmake it when we're done, though," said Alphonse. "They won't let us on the train if we still have it."

The door opened, and Sora walked back in. "Glad I checked," he said, glumly. "I could barely make a tiny whirlwind. A full-sized one would be impossible."

"I was afraid of that," said Kairi, quietly. "So Cure is out of the question, then?"

"Probably, but I think potions would still work. I'll get them from the ship."

Once he'd left, Edward gave Kairi an expectant look. "Magic," Kairi explained. "Sora usually uses it to heal himself in battle. Problem is, magic barely works here. He's going to get potions from the ship, but I'm not sure how many there are. You'll need to use them wisely, OK?"

"Better than nothing," said Alphonse. "Too bad about the healing spells, though. That would've helped."

"What's this about?" asked Riku.

He walked over to the others. "Sora just found out that magic doesn't work well here," Kairi repeated. "Meaning no healing spells."

"That's…problematic," replied Riku.

"Whatever happened to, y'know, not getting hit?" remarked Edward. "Not all of us can fix our wounds just like that."

"He'll just have to be careful," Riku concluded.

He paused. "So last time you guys went to Central, you had Sora borrow some clothes. Should we do that this time?"

"If you want," replied Alphonse. "It worked fine for Sora, but I'm not sure if any of ours would fit you."

"Yours might. Ed's are probably too – "

Edward interrupted before Riku could finish. "Don't you _dare_ ," he hissed.

Riku stopped, startled by the other boy's sudden reaction. "All I said was – "

"Shut UP! I'll have you know that I've grown two whole inches in the last few months!" Edward snapped.

Alphonse sighed loudly. "Brother, he was only talking about clothes."

Riku took a few steps back. "I'll just go browse," he announced.

* * *

 

It turned out that some of Alphonse's clothes did fit, albeit not as well as Riku would've liked. They'd work for one day. He ended up with sturdy gray pants and a blue shirt. "Riku, that looks stupid," Kairi told him, as he came back down the stairs.

"I thought they looked fine," he answered.

"No, that's not it. It's the sleeves. Why'd you bunch them up like that?"

Kairi pointed to the sleeves on the shirt, which had been pushed back to appear shorter. "Just wear it normally. Your arms will still have plenty of room to breathe."

Shortly after that, Sora came back with a small box of potions. He set them on a table, and Edward eyed them suspiciously. "How well do these work?" he asked.

"They'll patch up anything that's not too serious," Sora explained. "Usually doesn't take longer than half a minute. We can't bring all of them, so don't use them up too quickly."

"Common sense dictates that bubbling green liquid is best avoided," replied Edward. "I'll have to take your word for it."

The next hour or so was spent packing and preparing. Two bags were filled with books, maps, potions, and other things they might need. When the time came, the four of them said their goodbyes and left the house.

They took a cab up to the station. The ride started out quiet – not because they had nothing to say, but because they couldn't discuss their plans with the driver listening. Eventually, he was the one who spoke up. "Why so quiet?" he asked. "Something bugging you?"

"We're just tired," said Riku. "Had to wake up early this morning."

It wasn't entirely untrue. He usually slept a few hours later than he had this morning, and it was beginning to catch up to him. "I know the feeling," said the driver. "You know when I have to wake up for work? Sun's usually rising when I leave the house."

The rest of the ride consisted mostly of the driver rambling on about his personal life. The only one who said anything back was Sora, but after a while even he got sick of it. By the time they reached the station, they were all eager to get going. Edward handed the driver a few bills, and left in the direction of the ticket booth.

There was a longer line today than there had been last time, so the group ws stuck waiting for a few minutes. "You think we'll still have time?" Sora asked.

Before anyone could answer, an unfamiliar voice cried out. "I knew it!"

Everyone turned around. Standing nearby was a pair of preteen girls, the older-looking of whom was looking at Edward all starry-eyed. The other girl crossed her arms. "You sure?" she asked. "He's a bit different than the picture you showed me."

"It's an old picture!" said the first girl, defensively.

Edward said nothing, but looked thoroughly confused. "What're you talking about?" asked Alphonse.

The girls ignored him. "It's totally him," continued the first girl.

She grinned. "I think he's cuter in person," she whispered to her friend.

"Cute?" sputtered Edward.

Riku chuckled. "Looks like you've got some fans, Ed."

The first girl turned towards the group. "So it IS you!" she exclaimed. "Edward Elric – the Fullmetal Alchemist!"

"Not anymore," Edward said.

The girls stared at him. "Told ya," said the second one.

Edward turned away. "The line's moving. Let's go."

The first girl chased after him. "Waitaminute. Why'd you quit?" she asked.

Edward stopped and looked back at her. "I had my reasons for becoming a State Alchemist, but I wouldn't have done it if I had a choice. There are things more important than alchemy – lots of things."

He paused. "I think it's time for you to find another hero."

Before he could keep going, the girl continued. "That's not it!" she protested. "Sure, you're cool and smart and really cute, but those aren't the only reasons I like you."

Edward turned around again. "Then why do you?"

She looked him straight in the eye. "I heard stories about you. You used alchemy to help people, even when you didn't need to. A lot of State Alchemists are too busy or stuck-up for any of that, but you made a point of doing nice things for people. At least, that's what I heard."

There was a brief pause while the girl chose her words. "So, um…even if you don't want to be an alchemist anymore, you can still keep helping people. If you keep doing that, it doesn't matter whether the papers ever print your name again. I still think you're cool."

Edward was quiet for a while. Finally, he smiled. "Glad to hear it," he said. "I was thinking you were just some stupid kid, but it looks like you've got your priorities straight."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Um…thanks?"

Her friend giggled. "I think that was a compliment," she said.

The first girl smiled. "Thanks. That means a lot."

The two girls exchanged a brief look, and ran off. "Does this happen a lot?" asked Sora.

"Used to happen every now and then," answered Edward. "This was the first in a long time."

* * *

 

The rest of the wait passed by without any other noteworthy occurrences, and before long, the train had arrived. Sora, having done this before, followed Edward and Alphonse to a vacant booth. Riku, who hadn't, needed a few bits of instruction. Still, it was straightforward enough, and soon they were on their way.

The group had been sure to pick a place to sit that wasn't too crowded. After all, they'd probably be discussing their plans during the ride. Initially, though, the conversation went in an entirely non-confidential direction. "Is all of Amestris connected by railways?" Sora asked.

"Most of it," replied Alphonse. "We're not the only ones, though. The nearby countries have them, too."

"Could you get to other countries that way?"

"If you wanted to, that's how you'd do it. It's not practical to go on foot, and not everyone can drive themselves."

"Is that how they get your letters to May?" asked Sora. "She's the one you're writing to, right?"

"She is. And yeah, there are a few railways connecting Amestris and Xing. That's probably what they use," confirmed Alphonse.

He smiled. "I'd really like to visit her sometime. I'm not sure when, or for how long, but the more I think about it, the better the idea sounds."

Edward gave him a confused look. "First I've heard of that. When were you planning on telling us?"

"It's just a thought. Not like I've actually made plans yet," Alphonse reminded him.

There was a long pause in the conversation. Eventually, Riku reached into one of the bags and pulled out a small book. The sections describing places worth checking out had been marked with scraps of paper. "So where should we head first?" he asked. "It looks like there's a monument or two not far from the station. That might be a good place to start."

Sora looked over at the book. He was beginning to wonder if deliberately seeking out the Keyhole would work. That wasn't how he'd usually gone about things – he was used to just stumbling upon them. Sure, they might not have time for that, but none of their current options seemed right. He would've spoken up, but he didn't have any better ideas. For now, this really was the best they could do.

* * *

 

By the time they reached the city, the four of them were more than ready to get started. They left the station, and headed off towards their first destination.

It was a large flower garden, located between two small streets. According to the guidebook, it had been put there to mark the 400th anniversary of the nation's founding. It didn't seem like a very important place on its own, though. The rows of blossoms looked well-tended, and the occasional statues and sculptures were in good condition, but hardly anyone else was there. "I don't think it's here," said Sora.

"No kidding," agreed Edward. "There's no way something that important would be in a place like this."

"It did sound more impressive in the book," added Riku.

Still, they kept walking. It was quiet here, and the pleasant scent of flowers filled the enclosure. They weren't likely to find anything, but it wouldn't have been a bad place for a break. "Hey, Sora?" asked Alphonse.

Sora turned away from the metal lion sculpture he'd been examining. "What?"

"How do you know if you've found a Keyhole?"

"That's easy. You get this glowing outline in the air, and then the Keyblade reacts to it. Trust me, I'd know if it was here."

He paused. "So, if this place was built for something important, then why is it so empty?"

"I think they did a lot of stuff for the 400th," explained Alphonse. "This was just one. Probably thrown together at the last minute."

"Do you remember it?" asked Sora.

"No. I wasn't around yet. It's been a few decades, I think.

Edward glanced over at the exit. "If it's not here, we should go. We've got a lot to take care of."

As the four of them started towards the gate, though, someone else came into view. She was a tall woman who looked to be somewhere in her thirties, and she seemed panicked. She took a quick look around, paused, and darted through the gate towards the others. "Whatever you do, don't go right," she said, speaking quickly.

Sora and Riku exchanged worried looks. "What's wrong?" asked Alphonse.

The woman peered over her shoulder, as if expecting something to be there. "I think I just saw a monster," she said, her voice low.

Sora ran up to her. "What did it look like?" he asked.

"I just thought it was a dog at first. It kind of looked like one, but its shape wasn't right. It had a spiked collar, and too many teeth," she replied.

She was breathing quickly, almost to the point of hyperventilating. Clearly, she was still shaken. "Did it attack you?" asked Sora."

"No, but I think it tried to. It snarled, and then it ran after me…but then it disappeared. Left a few black clouds behind it when it did. I ran off in case there were more of them."

"It disappeared?" Riku repeated.

"That's what I said, isn't it? I don't know why, but I'm not complaining."

The woman had definitely described Heartless. Sora remembered seeing that kind in some other world. "Why are you so interested, anyway?" asked the woman. "You really ought to stay away. I saw something in the paper yesterday about someone being killed by monsters."

She paused, suddenly appearing even more terrified. "I thought it was some sick joke, but now…what ARE these things? Things like this aren't supposed to be real!"

"Just stay here," Edward told her. "Or go home. Just don't stick around. You don't want to run into any others."

"No, I don't," the woman agreed.

She gave them a small wave, and left the garden. Sora waited until she was out of earshot, and then spoke up. "Guess we'll be going after Heartless sooner than we'd planned," he remarked. "We're going to take a look, right?"

"We might as well," said Riku. "She's lucky it couldn't get to her."

"Yeah. Wonder why it disappeared, though?"

They left the garden and turned right – exactly what the woman had warned them not to do. "Well, if we're right about why they're underground, I think they might not be able to leave," Edward suggested.

"What, because Father couldn't?" asked Sora.

"Maybe. Either way, it would explain why there hasn't been anyone attacked above ground. Guess we can consider ourselves lucky."

The group wandered through backstreets for a while. No one was really sure where to go, since they hadn't thought to ask for directions. As they continued through the city, they moved away from the streets and gravitated towards alleys.

Eventually, Riku stopped walking. "We've probably passed it. Let's go back," he said.

He turned around, and began to walk back the way they'd come. The other three followed him, but then Edward stopped again. "Maybe we did go too far," he began.

He pointed to a large manhole nearby. "But I think this is as good an entry point as any. Let's just start here."

Sora examined the manhole, looking a bit suspicious. "You sure that'll take us where we want to go?"

"If you're so worried, then why don't you go first?" Edward challenged.

"Fine then, I will."

He took hold of the cover, and slowly pulled it aside. If the sudden stench was anything to go by, this would lead them to the sewers. "You still want to go first?" asked Riku.

"Cut it out!" Sora replied, loudly.

He grabbed hold of the ladder. "You guys are coming too," he reminded them.

* * *

 

The smell was worse underground, and besides the open manhole, the only source of light came from the flashlights they'd packed. "Is the whole underground like this?" asked Sora.

"Not all of it," Edward answered. "We might have to go through a lot of this before we reach anything else, though."

He pointed his flashlight towards one of the bags, which Riku was currently holding onto. "You have the potions, right?"

"Yeah, but we can worry about those once we actually find the Heartless," Riku told him.

A flash of blue lit the area around Alphonse for a few seconds, accompanied by a high-pitched ringing. All the flashlights pointed at him, revealing a long knife that had appeared in his hand. A noticeable indent was visible on the metal platform below. He handed the knife to Edward. "You wanted a weapon, right?" he said.

Edward took a moment to examine the newly-formed item. "You think it'll be enough?" he asked.

"Remember how you used to put that blade onto your arm? I figured it'd be like that."

Edward gave his brother a confident smile. "I'll see what I can do."

The next few minutes were almost silent. The four of them ventured further into the corridors, waiting for any signs of a presence besides their own. They had no idea when they'd run into Heartless, and that sense of uncertainty added to the tension of the moment. For now, though, they were alone.

Eventually, they came across another pathway. This one was narrower, and appeared to lead away from the sewers. "Should we go through here?" asked Sora.

Edward took a few steps into the passage. The beam of his flashlight darted across the walls ahead of him. "Looks alright," he concluded.

Sora ran ahead. The other three followed cautiously. It wasn't clear what this passage had been built for. Right now, it offered a more tolerable route than the sewer.

It turned out to be a fairly short tunnel, quickly giving way to a larger room. From the looks of it, no one had been here in a long time. Large pipes ran across the side of one wall, but the rest of the room was featureless and empty.

Riku examined the room. There appeared to be two other pathways leading out. Splitting up was probably a bad idea, so the best option would be to choose one. They could always backtrack if they needed to.

Before he could make any suggestions, he heard something. It was a faint scraping noise, and he couldn't tell where it was coming from. "I think they've found us," he announced.

He summoned his Keyblade. "Get ready."


	14. What Lies Beneath

Sora scanned the room, looking for any movement in the shadows. At first, there was nothing. Then, off in the corner, something shifted. He dropped his flashlight and called his weapon, gripping it tightly with both hands. It hadn't occurred to him that fighting while holding a flashlight would be impossible. He hoped that the Heartless wouldn't think to turn them off.

Something darted out from the edge of the room towards Riku. It leapt towards him, taking on solid form as it did so. Before it could finish the attack, Riku knocked the Shadow out of the air, sending it flying into the wall. Several more Shadows took its place, moving into position around the group.

Sora made the next move. He ran towards the Heartless and began a quick series of attacks. Being Shadows, they went down quickly, although not as quickly as he was used to. He didn't have time to think much about it, though, as another group of Heartless charged in through one of the passageways. Most of their number was still Shadows, but there was a handful of Soldiers among them as well.

Sora and Riku advanced towards them, but a few of the creatures broke off from the group and moved towards the others. Alphonse took a few steps backwards, trying to consider his options. There was still a lot of metal in the room, as well as a few exposed stone walls. He didn't want to damage the pipes – they might be important – but he still had plenty of options. He readied himself to attack, but then stopped. He couldn't risk attacking the ones near Sora and Riku, since the two of them were fighting at such close range.

A lone Soldier began to charge at him. Without giving it much thought, he clapped his hands, ducked down, and pressed them onto the floor. A sharp stone needle erupted from the ground, destroying the small Heartless upon contact. The spire pulled back into the ground and emerged again in front of Edward, pinning a pair of Shadows to the ceiling. They struggled for a few seconds before vanishing.

Edward took a quick look around the room. It was empty, besides the four boys. "That all of them?" he asked.

Everyone waited a few seconds, waiting to see if more Heartless would enter the room. None did. The coast was clear, at least for now.

Sora ran over to Edward and Alphonse. "You two OK?"

"Looks like it," confirmed Edward. "Those guys were nowhere near as tough as you made them sound."

"That's because the kind we were fighting are some of the weakest," Sora explained. "Just because these were pushovers doesn't mean they're all like that."

Riku looked towards the two passageways up ahead. "Looks like we've got two options," he stated.

Sora picked his flashlight back up and went over to examine the tunnels. "They both look the same from here."

"Splitting up is an option, but it's not a good one," said Alphonse.

"That's exactly what I was thinking," agreed Riku. "We should pick a tunnel and follow it. If it doesn't go where we want it to, we'll go back."

After a brief moment of consideration, they decided on the passage on the right. They entered cautiously, flashlight beams combing the path ahead of them as they walked. The passage grew wider as they progressed. The walls became sturdier, and the stone floor gave way to metal. They were entering the underground proper. Edward examined the familiar area. Memories of the last time he'd been here began to find their way into his thoughts. He pushed them aside and continued onward. Now wasn't the time for that. He had to stay alert.

Sora and Riku, having never been here before, took a good look around. "It kinda looks like an engine room," Sora observed. "Do they keep machines down here?"

"Not sure," said Alphonse. "If they ever did, I doubt they do now."

Riku ponted out the row of thick pipes on one side of the wall. "Those must've been used for something," he pointed out.

"We don't know everything," muttered Edward.

The next thing that the group came across was another small tunnel. Riku went over and took a look. "Looks safe," he concluded.

He turned around. "Have we seen enough, or should we keep going?"

"Well, we've already seen Heartless here," said Sora. "Maybe we should go back."

He motioned towards Edward and Alphonse. "What about you guys? You ready to leave?"

Edward took a quick look at Alphonse. "You feeling OK?" he asked.

"I think so," Alphonse replied. "I could probably use a break, but I can keep going."

Edward turned back towards Sora. "You heard him. Break time. We'll figure out what to do while we wait."

* * *

 

The four of them found a place to sit, and waited for a moment or two. "Hey, I just thought of something," said Sora. "How are we going to find our way back out?"

"I remember the way," replied Edward. It's been mosty a single path, so all we have to do is backtrack."

"You sure? I really don't want to get lost down here," Sora asked, a bit nervously.

"What, you don't trust me?" Edward challenged.

In an effort to change the subject, Riku interrupted the others. "So are we still checking out any landmarks?"

Sora, still doubting the idea of deliberately seeking out the Keyhole, was debating with himself whether to speak up. He decided it'd be best to say something. "You sure we'll get anywhere if we look for it?" he asked.

Everyone paused for a few seconds. "What do you mean?" asked Edward, a little confused. "Aren't you the one who said we should look for it?"

"Well, yeah, but I don't think we'll find it if we try to," Sora explained.

Edward's expression was blank. "You lost me."

"When I went to a new world, I didn't think 'OK, where's the Keyhole?' I just found something else that needed doing, and that'd usually lead me to the Keyhole," Sora continued.

He wasn't sure if it made any sense the way he was explaining it, but he did his best to put it into words. "What I mean is that we'll probably find it along the way," he added.

Another pause. Riku crossed his arms. "I'm not sure we have time for that," he said.

Sora looked down. "Figured you'd say something like that," he muttered.

"I'm not saying you don't have a point," Riku continued. "It's just that in this situation, relying on luck might not be the best idea."

"Yeah, but do you really think it'll be in any of the places we wanted to visit?" asked Sora. "None of them seem right at all."

"So then what would you suggest?" asked Alphonse. "We can't just ignore the issue."

"Of course not. I just mean we should figure out what's going on down here. Once that's done, we can sort out everything else."

Edward looked in the direction of the tunnel. "We still haven't decided whether we're heading back or not," he pointed out.

"Good point," said Alphonse.

He leaned back against the wall. "I say we should. We've only seen one group of Heartless so far. We still don't know how bad the situation is."

"I'd say you're right," said Riku. "You had enough rest, or do you need more time?"

"I'm almost ready," replied Alphonse. "Just give me a few minutes."

* * *

 

Once Alphonse decided he'd had enough rest, the group continued on through the tunnel. It went on for a while, becoming uncomfortably narrow at some points, but eventually gave way to a large, open room. As soon as they entered, though, Sora stopped them. "I think there might be something here," he announced.

Riku scanned the room. "Maybe. I don't see anything, but something doesn't feel right," he said.

Edward shrugged. "You two are the experts here. I'll just – "

"Ed, watch out!" Sora exclaimed.

Before either of them could react, something huge broke through the ceiling and knocked them both a few feet back. It lunged at Sora, who rolled out of the way and summoned his Keyblade.

Alphonse ran to the other side of the room and pointed his flashlight at the creature. It was shaped like a huge spider, as tall as any of them and more than twice as wide. It had a pair of long fangs, legs that were pointed at the tips, and glowing yellow eyes. It didn't seem to mind the light, but the beam did draw its attention. It turned around and crept closer to Alphonse. It lashed out with one of its front legs, striking the wall next to its target. It moved another leg into position, but a small barrier appeared in front of Alphonse, blocking the attack before it could reach him.

Alphonse looked across the room and saw Riku holding out one hand. "I thought you couldn't use magic here," he shouted.

"That wasn't magic," Riku answered.

Sora ran towards the giant creature, and started attacking one of its legs. Edward followed, slicing at another. "Is that one of them?" he asked.

"Yeah," Sora confirmed. "See that symbol on its back? Most Heartless have one somewhere."

The Heartless stumbled a bit, having been thrown off-balance by the damage to its limbs. It turned around to face its attackers, fangs clicking. It took a few swipes at Sora with one of its legs. He dodged the first one, but the next few connected, knocking him into the wall. It started to raise another leg, but before it could get off the ground, Edward jumped onto it and took hold. He held on tightly as the Heartless waved its leg around, trying to throw him off. Seizing the opportunity, Sora stood up and moved away. Riku, realizing that Edward wouldn't be able to hold on forever, tried to draw its attention. The Heartless stopped for a moment, and Edward let go. He moved back a little while Riku fended off its attacks. They weren't getting anywhere going after its legs like this. The best thing would be if they could get to its main body, but it was high enough up to be just out of reach. He looked around the room. There didn't appear to be anything to climb on, and he wasn't about to get back on its leg.

Then it hit him. "Al! Can you make stairs or something?" he asked, loudly.

Alphonse, who'd been trying to stay out of the way, examined the area. "I think so," he confirmed.

One at a time, large chunks of the floor began to form a rough pathway towards the Heartless, rising progressively higher off the ground. It didn't go without notice. "Sora, try getting on its back," Riku suggested. "I'll keep this thing busy."

"Got it," answered Sora.

He ran towards the platforms, and climbed the makeshift stairs. Edward ran after him, and the two of them waited at the top. The Heartless wasn't quite close enough to reach yet. After a few seconds of consideration. Sora threw his Keyblade at the floor below him. It skidded a few feet, clanging loudly as it hit the metal surface. The Heartless turned away from Riku, and began to move closer. As soon as it was close enough, Sora called his weapon back to his hand and jumped towards the monster's back.

He landed squarely on its abdomen and began to attack, slicing and stabbing at the surface below him. The Heartless shrieked. It began moving from side to side, frantically trying to get rid of its assailant. As soon as he had the chance, Edward leapt towards it and plunged his dagger into its side. It slit a little ways before stopping. With Sora's help, he climbed onto its back. He pulled the dagger out, and started to make his way towards its head. It continued to struggle, but the boys managed to hold on. As soon as Edward was close enough, he stabbed the monster's head. Its shrieking grew louder, and a few seconds later, it collapsed.

Edward jumped off its back and took a look at it. It wasn't quite finished, but he had a feeling it wouldn't be long. Before he could act, the stone steps fell back into the ground and resurfaced next to the Heartless as thick ropelike strands. They wrapped around the creature's legs, binding it to the ground. "Go ahead and finish it!" shouted Alphonse.

Sora and Riku charged at the Heartless, hitting it with a flurry of blows from either side. Before long, the Heartless vanished, leaving behind a pink, crystalline heart. The object floated into the air, and disappeared.

Everyone took a moment to catch their breath. "Told you they get stronger," said Sora.

"No kidding," replied Edward. "That thing was horrible."

The now-empty tethers retreated back into the floor. Everyone went to pick up their scattered flashlights. After that was done, Riku approached Sora. "I noticed you got knocked around a bit," he said. "Need a potion?"

"That'd be good," Sora replied.

Riku reached into his bag, took out a bottle, and handed it to his friend. "Anyone else get hurt?" he asked.

"I think I'm alright," said Alphonse. "A few bruises, but nothing worth wasting resources on."

"Same," said Edward. "Riku, what about you?"

"Already went through a few," Riku replied.

Everyone was quiet for a moment. "I think we should get out of here," said Alphonse.

"Definitely," agreed Sora.

* * *

 

It was a long walk back to the entrance point. The group ran into a few Heartless on the way, but they weren't very powerful. Eventually they returned to the surface. Edward left his dagger at the base of the ladder.

Once they'd put the manhole cover back, the question arose of whether they should spend more time in the city, or just head home. "I still don't think we'd find the Keyhole," said Sora.

"Normally I'd suggest we go anyway, but in this case I'm ready to leave," said Edward.

"Sounds good," agreed Riku.

As they headed back out of the alleyways, another question came up. "Hey, Riku? That barrier thing you did…" Alphonse began.

"What was it if it wasn't magic? That what you want to know?" said Riku, finishing for him.

Alphonse noddd. Before Riku could tell him, though, the answer was given for him. "Power of darkness," said Edward.

The look on Riku's face made it clear that the guess was correct. "I mean, what else could it be?" Edward continued. "It's not magic, exactly, and Riku's no stranger to using it."

"But didn't he lose those powers when his body returned to normal?" asked Alphonse.

"That just got rid of Xehanort's influence," Riku corrected. "The power that was left was mine to begin with."

He looked away from the others. "Maybe it'd be best if I avoided using it while I'm here. If you'd rather I – "

"It's OK," Sora interrupted.

Riku was quiet. "Really, it is," Sora went on. "You did that same stuff when we fought Xemnas, so I figured you knew what you were doing."

"I wouldn't quite say that," said Riku.

"But you can control it without letting it control you," Alphonse pointed out.

"Seems like it," Riku admitted.

The group found their way back onto the street with the flower garden. "Can we talk about something else?" he requested.

* * *

 

It was late afternoon by the time the group returned to the house, and by that time they were all pretty worn out. "I'd say it was a productive day," said Edward.

"Definitely," Sora agreed. "We know there are Heartless down there, so now we just need to figure out how to deal with them."

He walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. After a little while, Kairi answered. "You're back early," she noted.

"Yeah, that's 'cuz we – "

Before Sora could explain anything, Kairi stopped him. "Actually, you're not the only ones."

She turned to the side. "Hey guys, they're back!" she announced.

Two figures appeared in the doorway, ran over to Sora, and initiated a group hug. It took him a few seconds to figure out who they were. "Donald? Goofy? Is that you?"

The two detached themselves from their friend. Rather than being the funny-looking animal people they were supposed to be, they appeared to have taken human form. "Guess I did a good job, then," said Donald, proudly.

In this form, he appeared to be somewhere in his late thirties, and a bit on the shorter side. He had short white hair, pale skin, and wore more or less the same clothes as before, with the addition of matching shorts and shoes. "Guess so," said Sora, still surprised.

He took a good look at the two of them. Goofy appeared a bit younger, more like mid-thirties. He was tall, with a long face and a bit of a tan. He had black hair, and like Donald, was wearing his usual traveling clothes. "Are you guys really that old?" Sora asked.

"OLD?!" exclaimed Donald. "I'm not that old! I'm only…"

He stopped. "I'm not telling!"

Sora laughed. "I didn't mean it like that!" he said. "I just couldn't tell before."

"Well, this is still just a guess," said Goofy. "Don't think too much about it."

Edward and Alphonse, not sure what to make of the reunion, started to head back inside. Before they could get anywhere, though, Winry showed up and stopped them. "Don't go sneaking off just yet. You haven't even introduced yourselves!" she reminded them.

The two of them turned around and walked back onto the porch. "You two are Sora's friends, right? Nice to meet you," said Alphonse.

"Good to meet you too," said Goofy.

Edward gave Sora a sideways glance. "Hey, do they always talk like that?" he asked.

"What's wrong with how we talk?" Donald challenged.

Edward stared at him. "Sorry, could you repeat that?" he asked.

"You get used to it," Sora told him.

Riku motioned towards the open door. "Let's just go inside," he suggested. "We've got some catching up to do."


	15. Before the Storm

            After a few minutes of mingling, everyone gathered in the living room. There wasn’t enough room on the couches for everyone, so a few chairs were pulled in from the kitchen. “How long have you guys been here?” asked Sora.

            “About an hour,” answered Donald.

            “Did you have trouble finding the house?”

            “Naw, the ship put us down right in front of it,” said Goofy.

            A slight smile appeared on Winry’s face. “I wasn’t sure what to think when they came to the door,” she remarked. “If Kairi hadn’t recognized them, we might’ve turned them away!”

            “That, and the way they were dressed,” added Pinako. “Every bit as needlessly complicated as the three of you.”

            “She has a point,” Kairi admitted. “Sora, do you really need belts on your pockets?”

            “She’s talking about all of us,” Sora reminded her. “Besides, look at Donald. He has zippers on his hat!”

            Before Donald could protest, Alphonse interjected. “Weren’t we going to fill each other in on everything?”

            “Yeah, we were,” Sora replied.

            He paused to choose his words, and then began to explain. “So basically, the Heartless in this world haven’t been out in the open. They’ve been hiding underground. We’ve got a few guesses, but we’re still not sure why,”

            “It’s not just that,” added Riku. “They _can’t_ go above ground. Remember what that woman said? The one chasing her disappeared after a while. Something’s keeping them down there.”

            “So you want to know what that is?” finished Donald.

            “If that’s what we have to do to get these things out of our world, then yes,” Edward confirmed.

            “Well, at least they can’t hurt anybody down there,” Goofy commented.

            “I guess,” murmured Winry, not entirely convinced.

            After a bit of thinking, she suddenly appeared surprised, as if remembering something important. “Did you actually see any today?” she inquired.

            “Yeah, we did. Mostly little ones, but we had some trouble with a big one,” Sora informed her.

            Winry examined the boys for a moment. “So did you need those potions, or did you just not get hurt?”

            “We used a few potions,” said Riku.

            Donald rolled his eyes. “ _Potions?_ ”

            Sora suddenly looked horrified. “Oh, man…”

            “What’s wrong? Did you…” Kairi began.

            The realization hit her. She glanced over at Donald. “ _Oh_.”

            Donald frowned. “What’re you looking at me for?”

            Sora sighed. “Well, we…uh…kinda found out that magic doesn’t work here.”

            “WHAT?!” exclaimed Donald.

            He jumped up out of his seat. “How come you didn’t tell us before?” asked Goofy.

            “We hadn’t figured it out until after you left,” Sora explained.

            “What am I supposed to do, then?” demanded Donald. “I can’t be a magician without magic!”

            “We’ll think of something,” Kairi assured him.

            “You’d better,” he grumbled.

            He sat back down, still looking sour. “So what’s next?” asked Winry.

            The silence that followed made it clear that no one really knew. “I think we should go back as soon as possible,” suggested Riku.

            “I think so too,” agreed Sora. “If that’s where the Heartless are, then we’ll go in and clear them out ourselves.”

            “D’you really think we can get all of them?” questioned Goofy.

            “We’ll get as many as we can,” said Sora, sounding confident. “Besides, are you really still worried about numbers after Hollow Bastion? We took out a whole _army_ together!”

            “You were serious about that?” commented Alphonse. “I’d assumed you were exaggerating.”

            “No, we really did it,” replied Sora, proudly. “There were hundreds of them – maybe a thousand!”

            “I still don’t buy it,” stated Edward.

            “Enough showing off. What about the Keyhole?” Winry reminded them.

            “You’re looking for that, too?” asked Goofy.

            “Yeah, but we have no idea where it is,” Sora answered. “Let’s focus on our plan for now.”

            “Do you think we’ll be able to manage the situation underground?” asked Alphonse. “Goofy has a point. There are a lot of them, and not many of us.”

            “Not to mention how much area there is to cover,” Edward added. “There are parts of the underground that go beyond Central. This battle you mentioned was out in the open, right? It won’t be so easy down there.”

            “Maybe we should find someone to help us out,” suggested Kairi.

            She wasn’t the only one who’d been thinking this. The room was silent while everyone tried to come up with suggestions. Eventually, the first one came from Sora. “What about Colonel Mustang?”

            Edward stared at Sora in disbelief. “Are you kidding?” he spat. “Even if he does have time to help us, do you think he would? He can’t just run off and do whatever he feels like. Last time was business. This time…well, we’d need a good reason.”

            “I’d say the safety of the country is a pretty good reason,” said Riku.

            “Good luck trying to explain the whole story, then,” Edward retorted.

            Edward glared back at Sora, but said nothing. “Ed’s probably right, but it’s worth trying,” said Winry.

 

            Alphonse looked over at his brother, who was still looking sour. “Maybe it’d be best if I made the call,” he remarked.

* * *

 

            The phone rang a few times before someone picked up. “Hello?” said the voice on the other end. “This is Colonel Mustang’s office. If this isn’t important, I suggest you – “

            “It’s important. This is Alphonse Elric – can I speak to the Colonel?”

            The man on the phone paused for a second. “Oh. Hey, this is Kain Fuery – you remember me, right?”

            “Of course!” confirmed Alphonse.

            “He’s kind of busy, but I’ll see if I can get ahold of him. Is this about what he and the Lieutenant went to see you and your brother about?”

            “Yeah.”

            A few seconds passed. “He’s busy enough to have you answering calls?” Alphonse added.

            “Unfortunately,” muttered Fuery.

            It was hard to tell over the phone, but he sounded embarrassed. There was probably a story behind this, although now wasn’t the time to ask about it. “I’ll go ahead and find the Colonel,” he said.

            Alphonse waited on the line for a few minutes. Eventually he noticed bits and pieces of a conversation on the other end, although it was impossible to tell what was being said. Shortly after, he got a response. “Alphonse? You still there?” asked Roy.

            “Yeah,” he answered.

            “Fuery told you I’m busy, right? I don’t have much time to talk. Make it quick.”

            “We know where those creatures are hiding, and we’re planning to go in and get rid of as many as we can. We figured that it’d be worth asking you if you could help,” Alphonse explained.

            After a brief pause, “You’re going in by yourselves?” Roy repeated.

            As much as he tried to hide it, there was still a hint of concern in Roy’s tone. Alphonse knew how it must sound, but at this point, they didn’t have much choice. “Yes,” he confirmed.

            Another pause. “And those visitors are going with you?”

            “Yeah. A couple of Sora’s friends just got here, so they’re going along too.”

            “And all of you are capable of defending yourselves against…well, whatever you find?”

            “Of course.”

            “You’re hiding something,” said Roy. “There’s got to be more to this. Tell me - who are those kids, really? And why do they know so much about those creatures?”

            Alphonse hesitated for a moment. “I’m sorry, sir. I can’t tell you.”

            “You expect me to send you backup for a situation that you won’t be honest about?” questioned Roy.

            “I know how it sounds, but we figured it was worth trying.”

            Roy sighed. “I don’t have much more time to spare, but I might be able to send someone. Give me a few hours, and I’ll get back to you. Still, don’t count on anything. If we didn’t have as much history as we do, I wouldn’t even consider it.”

            “Understood. Either way, I’m grateful.”

            After Roy was given the house’s phone number, the two ended the call. Alphonse returned to the living room, and was greeted by expectant looks from just about everyone. “What’s the verdict?” asked Edward.

            “Don’t know yet,” Alphonse replied. “He said he’d call in a few hours and let us know if he can help.”

            “In that case, we should probably work on the assumption that we won’t be getting backup,” Riku recommended.

            “Sounds like a safe bet,” agreed Edward. “If he does decide to help us, we’ll just factor that into whatever we’ve planned.”

            Pinako looked around the room. “Too much tension in the air right now,” she declared. “I think we need a break. It’s about time to start dinner, anyway.”

 

            With that, she left the room. “I think she’s right,” said Sora. “Let’s just take a while to unwind. We can plan later.”

* * *

 

            The afternoon gave way to evening, and over time, the group began to fragment. Some of them began conversations, and others found other means of keeping busy. Still, the task at hand wasn’t far from anyone’s thoughts, and that made it hard to relax.

            Alphonse went out onto the front porch to get some fresh air, but he quickly found out that he wasn’t alone. Sora was sitting by himself on the steps, eyes glued to the beginnings of a sunset on the distant horizon. “I hardly ever see you by yourself,” Alphonse commented.

            Sora looked back at him and smiled. “I’m not alone if you’re here,” he pointed out.

            “Guess not.”

            Alphonse walked over and sat down next to him. “Hey, you know how sunsets are usually red or orange? Bet you don’t know why.”

            “Sure I do. It’s because light comes in different colors, and red light goes out farther than all the others,” Sora answered.

            “Exactly,” Alphonse confirmed. “That’s why when you see a rainbow, the red arc is the longest, and cooler colors like blue and violet are shorter.”

            Sora was a little surprised that he knew. After all, science trivia wasn’t his area of expertise. Maybe he’d picked it up somewhere.

            “Hey…Sora?”

            The other boy’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “What?”

            “That spider Heartless we fought. Do you run into huge ones like that very often?”

            Sora nodded. “It’s the first time I’ve seen that kind, but there’s usually one or two really strong ones in each world.

            He paused for a bit to think. After a while, he suddenly appeared excited. “You should’ve seen the one that we fought in the Pridelands!” he exclaimed. “It was _huge_! I had to keep climbing up on top of it. And it was kinda weird, ‘cuz I couldn’t fight the same way I usually do, but…”

            He stopped talking. “Never mind. You had to be there.”

            “Probably,” agreed Alphonse.”

            He took another look at the sunset. “How do you do it?” he murmured, not looking back at Sora.

            His voice was quiet, but Sora heard him anyway. “Do what?” he responded.

            “When you talk about everything that’s happened, you make it sound like a big adventure. Like it was something fun, even though you were fighting for your life every day. Is that really how you saw it?”

            Sora gave a lot of thought to that question before answering. “Not exactly. Most of it wasn’t fun. I got scared a lot, and sometimes I wasn’t sure how I’d ever get through it. It’s hard to be strong when you know that everyone’s counting on you. But you know…”

            His solemn expression gave way to a smile as he continued. “It wasn’t all like that. I met a lot of new friends, and I saw all kinds of cool places. I got to do stuff that I never could’ve done at home. And besides, at this point, I remember the things I liked better than the things I didn’t. You know what I mean?”

            “Kinda,” replied Alphonse.

            He could see where Sora was coming from. He’d thought about it, too. Sometimes joy came along with tragedy. Not everything in the last five years had been horrible. If things hadn’t gone the way they had, there would’ve been a lot of people he would never have met. And for all he knew, Father’s plans could’ve succeeded without him and his brother’s part in the whole mess. Even if that was too much of a stretch, there was no doubt that things would’ve gone differently.

 

            Even so, that didn’t make their suffering any less real. “Maybe it’s different for you,” added Sora, echoing that thought.

* * *

 

            Donald left the kitchen, not even trying to hide his disappointment. “Sora wasn’t kidding,” he grumbled. “I could barely even make a spark.”

            “What, you thought he was lying?” Edward questioned.

            “I wanted to try for myself!” Donald protested. “Sora isn’t very good at using magic, so I thought I could do better.”

            “Sora’s not bad at it,” Goofy reminded him.

            “He’s still not as good as me,” Donald retorted.

            Edward cut back into the conversation. “So when you talk about magic, do you mean turning rocks into toads? Brewing potions in cauldrons? Flying on broomsticks? What is it that you do?”

            “All kinds of stuff!” said Donald.

            Goofy seemed a bit confused. “But Ed, I thought you were a magician too?”

            Edward rolled his eyes. “Alchemy isn’t magic, it’s science. What, you think I could just snap my fingers and make the table start flying? It doesn’t work that way.”

            “It sounded like magic to me,” replied Goofy.

            “It’s not!” shouted Edward. “You need to know what material you’re dealing with, and what you want it to do. Even then, you can’t make something out of nothing. There are _rules,_ and if you don’t pay attention to them, things can get really ugly.”

            “I suppose you think that magic can do anything you want it to?” Donald challenged.

            “Isn’t that what the term “magic” suggests?” replied Edward.

            Donald shook his head. “You have to use your own energy to cast spells,” he explained, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “The better you get at it, the more energy you have available. And if a spell is stronger, it takes up more energy. If you use up too much, you get really tired. You can’t do anything that uses up more energy than you have – that’d probably kill you!”

            Edward gave that a bit of thought. “So what you can do is limited by your own inner strength?”

            “Exactly! You have to practice it just like any other skill.”

            “Besides,” added Goofy. “If magic could do anything, don’t you think we would’ve used it to make the Heartless go away?”

            “Good point,” said Edward.

            He supposed that the two concepts weren’t as different as he’d thought. Still, he didn’t understand why magic didn’t work here. Given Donald’s reaction, it didn’t seem like this has ever happened before. Was it because this world was so far removed from the others? Or was it a result of the natural laws present here? Either way, if it had been possible to use real magic in this world, someone would’ve figured it out by now. “Were they always as much of a problem as they are now?” he asked.

            “They were always around, but they used to just stay put in the Realm of Darkness,” said Goofy. “That’s what the King said.”

            “Yeah, and about nine years before we met Sora, Xehanort let them out,” continued Donald. “They’ve been causing trouble ever since.”

            Yet another problem that this “Xehanort” was responsible for. No matter what these people had to deal with, it always seemed to come back to him. He was the bad guy, and so was anyone who worked for him. It seemed so simple and clear-cut. He wished it’d been that easy for him to tell who was trustworthy and who wasn’t. Would’ve saved him a lot of trouble.

            Then he remembered the exceptions. What about that one guy, Axel? He’d started out on one side, but ultimately sacrificed his own existence to help Sora and his friends. What about Riku, for that matter? He seemed like a pretty nice guy now, but he’d started out by betraying his best friend. Except it didn’t stick, and once he realized how badly he’d screwed up, he had worked desperately to make up for it.

 

            Maybe it wasn’t so simple after all.

* * *

 

            “There’s this one thing that confuses me about your story,” said Winry.

            Riku looked up from the library book he’d been flipping through. “Just one?” he remarked.

            “Well, OK, lots of things.” Winry replied, correcting herself. “But there’s one that’s on my mind right now.”

            “Ask away.”

            “It’s about those Keyblades. How come everyone acted like Sora was the only one who could use one? I mean, didn’t all of you end up being able to do that?”

            “I don’t know about everyone else, but I can tell you why I thought that,” said Riku.

            “Why?” asked Winry.

            “Because that’s what Maleficent told me. She said that there could only be one Keyblade wielder, and that I deserved to be that person,” he explained. “I had no way of knowing better.”

            He frowned. “Come to think of it, I bet _she_ knew better. She probably just told me that so I’d be more inclined to help her. It’s exactly the kind of thing she’d do.”

            “Sounds about right, given what I know about her,” agreed Winry.

            Before either of them could continue, the phone rang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last of my reserve chapters, meaning that from now on there's no buffer between what I'm writing and what I just posted. I'm hoping that I can still keep up my schedule, but I can't promise anything. You may have to be patient.
> 
> FYI, I try not to take more than two months in between chapters. You guys didn't have to wait very long, since this was recently reposted from Fanfiction.net, but the people there have been waiting longer than usual for this chapter.


	16. Back to the City

"This is Colonel Roy Mustang. Who am I speaking to?"

"Edward Elric. You gonna help us or not?"

"I have a meeting tomorrow. However…"

He paused, and Edward was sure he heard a sigh on the other end of the line. "Lieutenant Hawkeye has volunteered to accompany you."

"Wait…seriously?" replied Edward, surprised. "You're OK with that?"

"It's her choice to make, not mine. Get something to write with – I need to give you the location where you'll be meeting."

Edward grabbed a pad of paper and a pencil off a nearby counter. "Ready."

Roy gave a street address to Edward, who copied it down onto the paper. He followed it with a time. "Meet her here, and she'll show you where to go," said Roy. "Don't be late. If you take too long, she leaves. Got that?"

"Got it. Tomorrow, right?"

"That's the plan."

"Alright," finished Edward.

Before he could hang up, Roy added something else. "Keep an eye on her," he said, sternly. "If she gets hurt helping you out, I'm making you pay for the hospital bills."

"Wait…what?"

"Don't give me that," snapped Roy. "We both know you could afford it. And if anything else happens…"

He didn't need to finish. "Understood," said Edward.

"And one more thing. Elric?"

"Yeah?"

"Good luck. If this is as important as you say, you'll need it."

With that, the call was over. Edward took the pad of paper, and returned to the living room. Everyone else had gathered there, waiting for his response. "So what's the verdict?" asked Riku.

"The Colonel's busy," Edward informed him. "His lieutenant, on the other hand, volunteered to help us. We'll meet with her tomorrow."

"You mean the woman who was with him before?" asked Sora.

"Yeah, her," Edward confirmed.

"Well, it's good that we have someone," said Kairi.

Winry gave her a puzzled look. "We? Kairi, you're going this time?"

"Sora and Riku and I decided. I'll go, but not all the way in. Riku and I will stay further back and guard the entrance."

"Why would you need to guard the entrance?" asked Alphonse.

"If we defeat whatever's down there, I doubt that all the Heartless will disappear with it," explained Riku. "We'll stay back to make sure that none of them escape."

"Yeah, and if Riku is with her, I'm sure she'll be OK," Sora added.

"The only problem is numbers," Edward cut in. "If Riku stays back with Kairi, then we're only left with four of us to – "

"Five," Goofy corrected.

Sora nodded. "Yeah, he's coming too. Even if Donald can't fight with us, Goofy and his shield shouldn't have any problems."

"Shield?" repeated Edward. "You sure that works as a weapon?"

"Sure does. You just ram into stuff with it!" exclaimed Goofy.

Alphonse shrugged. "I guess we'll take your word for it."

Donald crossed his arms. "You'd better have something I can do," he demanded.

"Actually, I've been thinking about that," answered Winry. "We still have to figure out where the Keyhole is, right? You could help me out with that. I know it's not much, but – "

"Better than sitting around and doing nothing," Donald interrupted.

Riku looked over Edward's shoulder, trying to get a look at the paper he was holding. "When does she want us to be there?" he asked.

"1:00 tomorrow," Edward answered.

He took another look at the address. "I guess she's got a specific entrance in mind. I'm not sure, but I'd guess this is about a half-hour walk from the station."

"That's not too bad," said Kairi. "Maybe we can get to the city early and get lunch first."

"Sounds good," agreed Sora.

He ran over the plan in his head. It seemed like a good one. Still, he couldn't help being a little nervous. He always was when it came close to the final battle. And as good as he was at hiding it, his closest friends could always tell.

Chances were that right now, everyone else felt the same way.

* * *

 

No one stayed up late that night. They all knew that they'd need all the rest they could get for the day ahead. Donald and Goofy had offered to sleep in their ship, but Winry had suggested that they use the living room furniture instead. It wasn't much, but it would work for one night.

When Kairi awoke in the middle of the night, she was greeted by silence. Tonight was colder than usual. The air was still, and the soft moonlight shown in through the open curtains of the spare room. There was just enough of it to see by.

She tried to go back to sleep. Time passed – minutes, perhaps, or maybe longer – but it became clear that her mind had no desire to rest. There was too much to think about, and to worry about. Sleep would have to wait.

Without really thinking about it, Kairi stood up and left the room. She slipped down the hall, down the stairs, and past the living room, eventually finding herself near the kitchen. It was there that she realized that she wasn't alone.

Someone else was sitting at the dinner table. It was dark, and she could barely make out the figure's outline. Long hair, but not tall enough to be Riku. "Winry?" she whispered.

A loud sigh. "Try again, Kairi."

She recognized the voice as Edward. "Can't sleep?" she asked.

Edward remained silent. "Neither can I," Kairi continued. "I guess I'm nervous. Y'know, about tomorrow."

Both of them were quiet for the next minute or so. Eventually, it was Edward who broke that silence. "I stayed up all night with him sometimes," he said, quietly.

He didn't mention any names. He didn't need to. "It was his twelfth birthday, and it'd been a rough day. I hadn't had time to do anything for him," Edward explained. "So we spent the night together."

Kairi wasn't sure what to say. She listened as Edward continued. "I ended up doing the same thing every time he had a birthday. He never said it outright, but I could tell that he looked forward to it. It was the one night every year that he didn't have to spend alone."

"I'm sure it meant a lot," said Kairi.

"It wasn't much."

"It was something."

Another pause. "Were the two of you always so close?" asked Kairi.

"Pretty much. We're only a year apart, so I can't remember ever not having him. We'd argue sometimes, but it never lasted. Besides, I doubt anyone gets along with their siblings all the time," explained Edward.

Kairi pulled her knees in a little closer. "I wouldn't know," she responded."

"Guess not. Your parents don't have any kids?"

"No, it's just us. And if I do have brothers or sisters, I don't remember them.

The night hid her smile as she continued. "But I guess Sora and Riku are almost family."

"Sure seems like it. How long have you known them?"

"They were the first people I met that were my age. I was really little, so I don't remember much about how we got to know each other, but we've been friends ever since."

"They're not your only friends, are they?" inquired Edward.

"Of course not!" said Kairi. "I've got plenty of other people I hang out with. Sora and Riku are just my best friends."

"After everything you've been through together, I doubt that'll change," Edward pointed out.

"No kidding."

Kairi waited a few seconds and then stood up. "I think I'll try and sleep again," she informed him. "You should too. Tomorrow's going to be a rough day, and we'll both want to be ready.

"Point taken," agreed Edward. "I'll be right behind you."

Kairi started on her way back to the spare room. "See you tomorrow," she added.

Edward stuck around for a while after she'd left, trying to collect his thoughts. Finally, after what felt like forever, he pulled himself out of the chair and made his way back to his room.

As he lay back down, he couldn't help glancing over at the bed on the other side of the room. It was too dark to see his brother, but it seemed like Alphonse was sleeping just fine. Five years' worth of lonely nights would remain nothing but memories.

With that thought in place of darker ones, Edward fell back into sleep.

* * *

 

When the morning came, he awoke to the sound of clanking metal. He shot up into a sitting position and glared at Winry. "Would it kill you to let a guy rest?" he protested.

Winry responded by slamming the pots together a few more times. Edward covered his ears and glared at her, but said nothing. "Just be lucky I didn't decide to drum on your leg instead," she remarked. "Would've been just as loud."

Edward shook his head. "Like you would. You'd be too afraid to damage it."

Before Winry could retaliate, Alphonse interrupted. "Thanks for waking us up, I guess," he said.

Winry smirked. "Looks like someone appreciates my efforts.

She pulled the sheets off Edward's bed. "Get yourself dressed and meet me in the workroom," she ordered.

"Wait…why?" questioned Edward.

"Because speaking of your leg, I want to make sure it's working properly. Don't want it breaking in the middle of a fight. Didn't I tell you last night?"

She walked over to the doorway and turned back for a moment. "I'll meet you there as soon as I get the others up. And don't even think about going back to sleep!"

She left the room, and a moment later, the sound of pots colliding could be heard from down the hallway. Morning had officially begun.

* * *

 

Kairi left the kitchen with a piece of buttered toast in either hand, almost hitting the edge of the doorway on her way through. She wasn't used to getting up this early. Slowly, she walked over to an empty chair, collapsed onto it, and started nibbling at her toast.

Her behavior didn't go unnoticed. "Looks like someone could use another hour of rest," commented Pinako.

The old woman entered the room from the hall, and sat down on one of the couches. "I wish I could," replied Kairi.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Sort of. Probably not the best night I've had."

"Of course it wasn't. You kids have a lot on your shoulders today. I can't imagine you'd be able to rest properly with that hanging over you."

Kairi stared down at her feet. "You're probably right."

She changed the topic. "So is Winry done with the repairs yet?"

"There aren't any real repairs to speak of," Pinako informed her. "He's kept his leg in good shape. Guess it's not as easy to bust up as an arm is."

"He also hasn't been getting into fights," added Kairi. "If he's been staying around here, there wouldn't be any reason to."

"Thank goodness for that," murmured Pinako.

Something about the way she said that set off a few pricks of guilt. It must have shown. "Don't you go feeling bad about it," added Pinako. "You're not the reason those monsters are here, are you? Besides, no one can stop those boys once they make a decision."

Kairi smiled slightly. "Probably goes double for Ed.

"I'd call you perceptive, but it's not exactly a difficult observation to make," replied Pinako. "Even so, I was talking about both of them."

The conversation might have gone further, but Sora decided to interrupt it first. "Hey Kairi, you want to practice?" he shouted.

He walked into the room a few seconds later. "Probably a good idea," Kairi answered.

She finished the last few bits of toast, and followed her friend outside.

* * *

 

Riku found them about a half-hour later. He could tell from their movements that they were both beginning to tire. "Time to go, guys," he informed them.

Sora breathed a sigh of relief. He dropped the stick he'd been carrying and started towards the house. Kairi did the same. "I was about to collapse!" she exclaimed.

"Sure didn't seem like it," replied Sora. "You were keeping up just fine."

"Sounds like she's ready, then," said Riku.

"As ready as I'm going to get," Kairi responded.

She shifted her feet a little. "Still, I'm glad I won't have to fight alone."

The conversation stopped as Winry opened the door. "Better get your stuff together, guys. We're leaving."

"I just told them," said Riku.

"Well, I'm telling you again. Make it quick," said Winry.

Kairi looked over at Winry. "You said 'we,'" she pointed out. "You don't mean you're coming with us, do you?"

"Not into the underground," Winry clarified.

"But you are coming," Riku stated.

"Better than sitting around here all day," announced Donald.

He came up to the doorway with Goofy, a bag of books slung over one shoulder. "It was my idea," he continued. "We're just looking at books and maps anyway."

"We figured we'd find a café or somewhere to hang out," Winry finished. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Not really," Sora affirmed.

"Is it just you two, or is Pinako coming?" asked Kairi.

"She's coming. It's been ages since she went into the city," answered Winry. "Now come on – we need to get moving!"

The train arrived almost immediately after they'd reached the station. If there had been fewer people trying to get on, they probably would have missed it. The group ended up in three different booths for the ride, and as a result, Edward and Winry ended up sitting with a pair of strangers. For the first five minutes or so, the booth was silent. The people across from them – a young woman and a middle-aged man – didn't appear comfortable holding a conversation in public. Obviously, the day's plans weren't supposed to be common knowledge either, so Edward and Winry couldn't discuss them.

After a while, the silence became unbearable, and it was Winry who finally broke it. "Where are you two headed?" she asked.

The woman replied quickly. "We're headed to Atrium," she said. "I'm visiting my boyfriend there."

She motioned to the man beside her. "My father hasn't met him yet, so I was hoping to introduce them."

Her father looked over at Winry. "You two aren't together, are you?" he commented.

Edward practically jumped out of his seat. "Of course not!" he shouted. "W-we've known each other since we were kids!"

"Saying 'no' would've been enough," the man said, dryly.

Winry said nothing, but noted that Edward's reaction wasn't as violent as it usually was when it came to this topic. "Dad, you don't need to pry like that," said the woman.

Her father chuckled. "I suppose not."

"Atrium is past Central, isn't it?" Edward remarked.

"Yeah, it is," the woman confirmed. "We've got a long day ahead of us. Is Central where you're headed?"

"It is," said Winry. "Just a day trip. We've got some friends in the other booths back there."

"Bit of a trek for 'just a day trip,' isn't it?" said the man.

"We needed it," Winry added.

Meanwhile, in the booth behind them, Kairi was trying to catch some rest while she could. The old man sharing their booth seemed to have the same idea. Riku, however, had his eye on a small backpack that Alphonse had brought along. "What's in there?" he asked, motioning towards it.

Alphonse responded by unzipping the largest pocket and tilting the backpack so that Riku could see. "Materials," he said.

A strange assortment of objects was visible inside. Two bottles of water, a pad of paper, a small bag full of what looked like charcoal, and a salt shaker – and that was only what was visible. "There's only so much you can do with dirt and rocks," Alphonse explained.

Riku examined the contents, then zipped the bag back up. "This for alchemy, then?"

"Exactly."

Alphonse placed the bag back under his seat. "So you know what to do with all of those?" Riku continued.

Alphonse nodded. "I tried to bring a variety so that I'd have as many options as possible. I could freeze the water, or maybe make steam so the enemy can't see. I could probably turn the charcoal into something stronger. And the cooking oil – "

"No need to explain everything," Riku interrupted. "I'm not the alchemist here. As long as you've got ideas, we'll be fine."

"Do you have any ideas?"

"Not really. I don't know much about chemistry. I have to repeat a year of school because I was away so long, so I haven't finished the class yet."

"Don't worry about it," said Alphonse. "Besides, if alchemy were as simple as taking a chemistry class, everyone would do it."

* * *

 

"Yeah, it has fur," said Sora. "I think so, anyway – I've never actually touched one."

Donald remained silent, continuing to think. "That's ten questions," Sora added. "You're halfway through."

"Is it bigger than a matchbox?" asked Goofy.

"Mm-hm. Nine more questions."

They were interrupted before they could continue. "Next stop, First Central Station," announced a man's voice over the loudspeaker.

"Finally!" exclaimed Donald, a little too loudly.

Sora glanced out the window. Sure enough, the train was already a ways into the city. "I'll go make sure everyone's ready," he said. "You two wake up Pinako."

The old woman opened her eyes. "I wasn't asleep," she informed them.

"Never mind, then," Sora replied.

As he left the booth, Goofy spoke up. "Is it a moogle?"

Sora stopped. "How'd you get it so fast?"

Goofy chuckled. "Guess I just got lucky."

Shortly after, the group exited into the station. It was busy as usual, and there were plenty of travelers to take the place of those who'd arrived. Once the train had left, Edward took another look at the directions. "You know where that is, right?" asked Sora.

"Sort of," replied Edward. "It's a bit of a walk, but we should make it on time."

They left the station and emerged into the busy streets. "Is the entrance in the building?" asked Riku.

"I think the Colonel said it was in an alley behind it," said Edward. "Lieutenant Hawkeye should be there."

He looked towards Winry. "Do you know where you'll be spending the day?"

"Not yet, but I'll keep an eye out," answered Winry.

She pointed to the clock above the station entrance. "It's a little past noon, you know. If you wanted, you could probably pick up lunch and eat it on the way."

"Good idea," said Kairi.

* * *

 

The place they ended up with was a small café on the corner of a quiet street. There were a few other people inside, but their group was by far the largest. They walked up to the counter together, and were greeted by a nervous-looking young woman. "Are you all ordering?" she asked.

"Yeah," said Edward.

The woman froze for a second. "But most of us are getting it to go," Alphonse added.

This seemed to calm the woman somewhat. "Alright then. What would you like?"

After everyone had ordered, the group found a table. The three who were planning to stay put their bags down, and the others sat nearby to wait for their food.

Edward checked a nearby clock. "They'd better not take too long," he muttered.

"Don't worry about it," said Winry. "You've still got time."

A few minutes later, someone arrived with two trays of food. "I'll let you guys figure out whose food is whose," he said.

Once he left, Alphonse grabbed his sandwich and pointed to the door. "I guess we'll be going," he announced.

"Guess so," replied Winry. "Be careful, OK?"

"We will," Sora assured her. "I'll make sure Ed and Al come back safe."

Winry sighed, and shook her head. "I meant all of you," she explained. "I know we haven't known each other long, but Sora – and Riku, and Kairi – I'd consider you friends, too. I want you all to come out of this in one piece. Got it?"

"Got it," said Sora.

Donald frowned and crossed his arms. "I wish I could come along, too," he grumbled.

"You and me both," replied Goofy. "It's just not the same with two outta three."

"And what does that make the rest of us?" Riku remarked.

"You're important, too!" said Goofy, correcting himself.

Kairi smiled. "We'd better go," she reminded everyone. "We don't want to keep Lt. Hawkeye waiting.

"You're right," said Alphonse. "See you later!"

* * *

 

As the group got closer to the address they'd been given, the look of the city began to change. The differences were subtle – the buildings weren't quite as tall, the streets were narrower and not as well-kept. Still, it made a difference in the atmosphere. In addition, there were hardly any other people passing by. "Is this a bad part of town or something?" asked Sora.

"No, I think it's just quiet," said Alphonse. "There aren't as many shops or restaurants or anything, so there's not as much of a reason to come this way."

Edward pulled out the slip of paper, and looked around for street signs. "OK, this is the first street," he announced. "Not sure which way the second is."

Riku grabbed the paper out of his hands. "The other one is 22nd South," he noted. "The sign says Helmer and 19th, and we just passed 18th. I think we're headed in the right direction."

A few streets later, and they'd reached their destination. The group found an alley a few doors down, and made their way towards the back of the buildings. As soon as they turned the corner, they were greeted by a woman's voice. "I hope you didn't get lost," said Riza.

She was standing next to a large doorway build into the back of the building. The door was blocked by bars, and a "KEEP OUT" sign was posted next to it. Riza herself was dressed in uniform as usual, with a handgun strapped to her waist and an extra on the other side.

Sora ran over to her. "We're not late, are we?"

Riza shook her head. "No, you're right on time. I hope you're ready."


	17. Descent

            The staircase led into a fairly small room that appeared to have been built for maintenance purposes. There was another door on the opposite wall. Right now, it was closed, but it didn’t appear to be locked.

            Riza examined the door, as well as the faded warning sign that had been posted on it. Then she turned the knob and slowly opened the door. “Let’s go,” she said.

            The group continued down a long staircase. Once it started to get dark, a few of the group took out flashlights. “Won’t those get in your way?” questioned Riza.

            “We’ll manage,” Alphonse assured her.

            “You can all fight, I’d assume?”

            “Yes,” Sora answered.

            When they reached the end of the staircase, Riza stopped. “Do you have any advice to offer when it comes to fighting these things?” she asked.

            “You’re asking for help?” Sora remarked.

            “I’m asking for information,” Riza corrected. “You claim to have a good deal of experience dealing with them, and it’d be foolish to go blindly into battle.”

            Sora gave it some thought. “I’m used to fighting them at close range, so I’m not sure how much help I can be.”

            “I don’t need much. Any basics of their behavior of knowledge of weaknesses would be useful,” Riza continued.

            “For now, just support the rest of us from a distance,” Riku suggested. “There are a lot of different kinds, so we’ll offer advice once we see what we’re up against.”

            He paused. “Rule of thumb, though – stay alert, and don’t let them anywhere near your chest.”

            “I’ll keep that in mind,” said Riza.

            The group continued through the tunnel. It started out narrow, but became wider as they progressed. Eventually, they reached a wide open chamber, one that stretched out to either side. The floor was covered in metal, and the walls appeared to be lined with cement. The air was musty, and it was noticeably colder than the way in.

            Riza surveyed the area. “So what’s our goal?” she asked.

            “Basically, there’s something weird down here,” explained Sora. “It might be what’s drawing the Heartless to this place. If we can find it, we might be able to get them to leave.”

            He took a few steps forward, and shined his flashlight down the corridor. “Until then, we should destroy any Heartless we run into,” he added.

            The group began by going left, but it wasn’t long before something else came up. “Hey, Al? Still unarmed here,” Edward commented.

            “Oh, right! Sorry,” replied Alphonse.

            He crouched down close to the floor. “Same as last time?” he asked.

            “Actually, could you make a spear or something? It’d be better to stay as far from those things as I can.”

            “I can do that. Just give me a sec.”

            A high-pitched hum filled the air, and sparks flew from the floor as the weapon took shape. Alphonse examined it for a moment before handing it to Edward. “I know yours was usually flashier, but – “

            “Doesn’t matter,” Edward assured him.  “As long as it’s sharp, I could care less what it looks like.”

            Riza shifted her attention to Sora and the others. “I can’t imagine that you all fight unarmed,” she commented. “Do you need something as well?”

            “Don’t worry about us,” replied Goofy. “We’ve got things covered, even if it doesn’t look like it.”

            Riza paused. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” she noted. “You are?”

            “Name’s Goofy,” was the reply. “Nice to meet ya.”

            “He’s a good friend of mine,” Sora added.

            “I…see,” was Riza’s response.

            She kept walking, and the rest of the group followed. The path stayed the same as they moved further down the tunnel. For a while, it was quiet, but there weas still a near-tangible sense of unease among the group.

            Not long after, Kairi stopped. “I think they’re close,” she announced.

            Her words were followed by silence. Everyone froze, suddenly alert to everything surrounding them. Seconds later, something moved in the shadows. “Watch out!” Kairi shouted.

            She summoned her Keyblade and stepped in front of Riku, blocking a Soldier’s attack. It shook its head and lunged at her, but was knocked aside by Sora before it could make contact. Two more of them took its place almost immediately, throwing punches in his direction.

            If this had been a safer situation, Riza would have questioned how the trio had pulled weapons out of nowhere. In this situation, she couldn’t afford distractions. She whipped out one of her handguns and surveyed the area. The small armored ones were the most numerous, but there were a few towards the back that resembled dogs. She stepped back, took aim, and fired a few shots at them. One of the creatures dissolved into shadowy smoke, but her shots seemed to alert another. It darted towards her, and snapped at her legs. A well-placed kick was enough to give her some space.

            Before it could attack again, Goofy rammed into it, slamming it into a wall. He knocked away a couple of soldiers and went to Riza’s side with his shield at the ready. “You keep an eye on your targets,” he said. “I’ll cover you.”

            Riza nodded, and took aim. 

            Meanwhile, Edward did the same for Alphonse. “Any ideas yet?” he asked.

            Alphonse took a water bottle out of his backpack, and shined his flashlight on a group of Heartless that Sora was holding off. They scurried away from the light, and towards an open area in the shadows. He opened the bottle, splashed its contents onto the Heartless, and clapped his hands together.

            Sparks flew through the water, and it froze around the Heartless, trapping them in place. Seeing his chance, Sora ran towards them, but before he could get close enough to attack, they were engulfed by an explosion of black fire. By the time it cleared, the ice had melted and the Heartless were gone.

            Kairi stared at the puddle on the floor. “Who…?”

            Riku pulled his hand back, and stared at the wall, avoiding anyone’s gaze. “Coast is clear,” he said. “Let’s keep moving.”

            The group did just that. As they walked, Riku came up next to Kairi. “Are you feeling OK?” he asked.

            “I’m fine,” she assured him. “I barely got a scratch with you and Sora keeping an eye on me.”

            “That’s not what I meant. You’re a Princess of Heart, so you’re sensitive to the darkness. That’s probably why you could tell that the Heartless were nearby.”

            Kairi thought about that. “You might be right. I definitely felt something before they showed up. But really, I’m OK.”

            “And that attack – “

            “Didn’t notice a thing,” Kairi insisted. “I’m sure that you know what you’re doing, so don’t worry about it.”

            She smiled. “Besides, I think my power means I’m more resistant to the darkness, not less. You don’t have to worry about hurting me or anything.”

            Riku was quiet for what felt like a long time. “Alright,” he finally said.

            They continued through the passageway without any trouble. Eventually, they found a flight of stairs off to one side. A quick examination revealed that it led further down. “Was anyone hurt during that battle?” asked Edward.

            “Not really,” answered Sora.

            The others echoed that sentiment. No one seemed to have anything worse than scratches. “That’s good,” Edward continued. “Better to save our supplies for later.”

            He started towards the stairs, but Riza stopped him. “Give me a few seconds,” she said. “I need to reload.”

            She pulled a box out of her pocket and got to work. “Do you need me to make bullets?” asked Alphonse.

            “Thanks, but no,” Riza replied. “You’d have to get the size and shape exactly right. Otherwise, the gun would jam, and it’d do more harm than anything if that happened during a fight.”

            She put away the box, and slipped the gun back into its holster. “Besides, I brought plenty.”

            At the bottom of the staircase, the group entered a hallway similar to the last. “You need a break, Al?” asked Edward.

            “No, I’m OK. We’ve barely gotten started,” Alphonse replied. “Pretty sure I can go a while longer.”

            “Got it. Just let me know when you get tired, alright?”

            This pathway was just a little bit narrower, and stretched out further than anyone could see. It wast stuffy, and there seemed to be a lot of dust in the air. As they walked further in, Goofy looked around nervously. “This place is awfully big,” he observed. “How d’ya think we’ll know if we’re going the right way?”

            “I figured we’d just follow the Heartless,” said Sora.

            “Follow the Heartless?” echoed Goofy.

            “Exactly. If we run into them, we’re probably going the right way. If they’re stronger, then we’re probably closer to the source. It won’t be easy, but it’ll put us on the right path.”

            “Good thinkin’!” exclaimed Goofy.

            Edward was a bit more skeptical. “Won’t that wear us down faster?” he pointed out.

            “So will wandering around without knowing where to go,” Sora reminded him. “We can always pull back a little and rest if we need to.”

            The passage still had no end in sight, even after they’d been walking a while. At some point, though, it started to develop a slight downward slant. They were going deeper, even if it didn’t feel like it.

            At some point, a low rumble was heard. It was faint, but it sounded like it was coming from behind. “More Heartless?” asked Edward.

            “I don’t think so,” said Sora. “Most Heartless are quiet.”

            Edward crossed his arms. “Then what the hell _was_ that?”

            Another growl. “Weren’t there chimeras down here last time?” asked Alphonse.

            “A few, but I don’t think – “

            “ED, LOOK OUT!”

            Goofy ran up in front of Edward, pushing him to the side. He stumbled and fell down. Seconds later, something rammed Goofy’s shield, knocking him back a few inches.

            Alphonse redirected his flashlight, illuminating the attacker. Its body and tail was an alligator’s, but its head and legs were that of a wolf. “It _is_ a chimera,” he murmured.

            The beast continued to push against the shield, and Goofy struggled to keep it back. Edward picked up his spear, and got to his feet. “Where’d this thing come from?” he said.

            Sora summoned his Keyblade, and moved towards it slowly, trying not to draw its attention. It didn’t work – he had only moved a few feet before it noticed him. It turned around, and sprinted towards him. Riku ran towards Sora, but before he could reach, the chimera lunged at Sora and knocked him to the ground, pinning him with its front paws.

            Riku continued towards the chimera, Keyblade in hand. He slammed its side with the weapon, causing it to recoil and take a few steps back. Sora took the chance to get to his feet and move into position next to Riku.

            Goofy was still catching his breath after holding the chimera back. “You OK?” Edward asked.

            “I think so,” said Goofy.

            He looked towards the chimera. Sora and Riku were doing most of the work, staying close and working together to keep their opponent busy. Kairi was guarding Alphonse, and Riza was keeping her distance, waiting for any clear shots. “That fella sure is strong,” he commented.

            Edward nodded. Still clutching his spear, he ran towards the rest of the group.

            By this time, the chimera was starting to wear down. It was bleeding from cuts on both sides, and its movements were starting to slow. Even so, it was still dangerous. The next time Riku went in for an attack, it snapped at his outstretched left arm. He gasped in pain and pulled back as soon as it let go. Sora ran towards him, but the chimera lashed at him with its tail, knocking him down. It then shifted its attention towards Riku. Its teeth had left deep marks in his arm, and though he was still trying to focus through the pain, he wouldn’t be able to fight much longer like this. Alphosne sifted frantically through his backpack, looking for something that might be useful.

            The chimera continued to advance towards Riku. Edward sliced at it with his spear, but the chimera seemed to dodge every attack he tried. Sora stood up, still hurt from the fall. “Riku, get away from that thing!” he shouted.

            A flash appeared for a split second from several yards away. And the chimera collapsed, blood pouring out of the side of its head. Riza stepped out of the shadows, still holding her gun. Edward ran up to the chimera. “Nice shot,” he said.

            He swung the blade of his spear down onto its neck, nearly severing its head. If it hadn’t been dead before, it definitely was now.

            He turned towards Riku. Kairi was already by his side, going through her bag. “Someone should take him back,” Riza said. “He can’t keep going like that.”

            Kairi pulled a potion out of the back, and handed it to her friend. “No need,” she said. “Just watch.”

            Riku drank the bottle’s contents, and glanced over at his arm. After a few seconds, the wounds started glowing green. Slowly, they began to close, and in less than a minute, he’d healed almost entirely. He made a fist and released it, repeating a few times. “That works,” he said. “Still wish we had magic, though – Cure doesn’t sting.”

            Riza just stared in disbelief. “What…did you just do?”

            “Well, I’m not really sure how they’re made,” Sora began, “but – “

            Riza crossed her arms. “Save it for later,” she said.

            “So you aren’t going to ask about the potions?” asked Sora, confused. 

            “Not if they’re keeping us from getting killed,” she answered. “It should be impossible – so should you summoning weapons out of thin air. But now isn’t the time to ask questions. We’re being threatened by enemies that are just as impossible. Being suspicious of my allies is the last thing I should do.”

            “You’re not curious or anything?” Sora added.

            “I guess by this point, I’m used to seeing things I don’t understand,” Riza told him. “And if Edward and Alphonse trust you, then I doubt I have much to worry about.”

            She paused. “I do have one question. These Heartless are a serious threat, am I right?”

            “Yeah. Why?”

            “If that’s the case, why send children to fight them?”

            Sora was taken aback. “I – I’m almost sixteen!” he protested. “I’m not a kid!”

            “But you’re still young. So are your friends. So answer me – how did you end up as the expert here?”

            Sora took some time to think. “Well at first, I…”

            He summoned his Keyblade, and in that moment, he looked uncharacteristically solemn. “I didn’t have a choice. This weapon – it’s called a Keyblade. It’s the only thing out there that can destroy the Heartless for good. I’m one of the ones who’ve been chosen to wield it. For a while, I thought I was the only one.”

            The Keyblade disappeared, and Sora’s hand clenched into a fist. “My home was gone because of the Heartless. Everything I knew disappeared overnight. I thought Riku and Kairi would still be alive, because they were the last people I saw. They’re my best friends, so if they were still out there, I had to find them. So at first…it wasn’t about the Heartless. It was about them.”

            “Sora…” said Goofy, quietly.

            “I found Donald and Goofy early on,” Sora continued. “They had someone they were looking for, too. So we traveled together. And as we kept going, I learned to fight the Heartless. I could stop them from destroying other people’s homes. And eventually, I was even able to restore what they’d taken. It got pretty complicated from there, and eventually we went home for a while. But then I found out about this place.”

            Sora looked straight at Riza. “Now that I’ve been here a while, there’s no way I’ll let the Heartless have it,” he announced. “I’m not just some dumb kid – I’m stronger than that. And I’m here because I want to be, not because anyone’s forcing me to do their dirty work.”

            Riza smiled slightly. “I see. Looks like I underestimated you.”

            “He’s a lot tougher than he looks,” added Riku.

            Sora frowned. “Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

            After a few moments, Edward started forward. “C’mon,” he said. “We’ll have plenty of time for this later.”

            The group began to move forward again, but Kairi stopped them. “Just a minute,” she announced.

            Everyone stopped, and all eyes were on her. She looked over at Riku. “I think this is where we should split up.”

            Riku nodded. “I was just thinking the same thing. It’s a ways in, but it’s not so far that we’d get lost trying to get out. If any Heartless tried to leave, this’d be a good place to hold them off.”

            Riza’s eyes widened slightly. “You think they’ll try to escape?”

            “We’re not sure, but if we take out whatever’s keeping them here…” Sora began.

            “I see,” Riza concluded. “What about the other exits? Are they covered?”

            Everyone was silent. “Good point,” muttered Sora.

            Riza sighed. “If that’s the case, then I’ll have to leave you for now. I’ll see if I can request backup to cover other major entrances to the underground. If there’s even a chance of these things getting into the city, we’ll need to be ready to keep the citizens safe.”

            She motioned towards Riku and Kairi. “The two of you should come with me on the way out,” she said. “It wouldn’t be safe to go alone.”

            “Good idea,” said Kairi.

            She looked back at the rest of the group. “Is that alright?”

            “Sounds good,” replied Edward. “There’s still four of us. We’ll manage.”

            “In that case, let’s go,” said Riza.

            She started walking back towards the entrance, with Riku and Kairi close behind. Before they went much further, though, Sora stepped forward. “Guys?”

            The three of them turned around. “What?” asked Riku.

            Sora paused for a moment. He was worried, and doing a bad job trying to hide it. “Be careful, OK?” was all he said.

            Riku shook his head. “You’re worrying about us?” he remarked. “You’re the ones going further in.”

            His expression softened. “We’ll be fine. Just focus on your part, OK?”

            Kairi walked over to Sora, and put a hand on his shoulder. “Riku and I will look out for each other,” she assured him. “Once the Heartless are taken care of, we’ll be back together before you know it.”

            Sora smiled. “See you then.”

            Kairi walked back to Riku and Riza. “The rest of you better make it out, too!” she shouted.

            “Will do,” Alphonse shouted back.

            As the others left, Sora looked out at the path ahead. Kairi was right – he had the hard part.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got no excuses this time. This chapter was worked on extremely slowly, and there isn't really a good reason for that. I think it's safe to say that the "two months or less between chapters" thing hasn't been true for a while. Updates will continue to be infrequent and irregular, but this fic is still alive unless I say otherwise.
> 
> I appreciate your support and your patience as always. Less than five chapters to go, so hang in there.


	18. Dark Places

After one final strike, the Heartless vanished under the spear’s blade. Edward surveyed the area, still ready for any others. After several seconds, he relaxed a little. “I think that’s all of them,” he announced.

“Looks that way,” agreed Alphonse.

The four of them grouped back together. “These guys seemed tougher than the last bunch,” said Sora.

“But that’s a good thing, right?” Goofy reminded him. “You said if the Heartless get stronger, that means we’re headed the right way.”

“Right. That’s what we’re counting on,” Sora replied.

He shifted his attention to the others. “Al, are you still doing alright?”

“I think so,” said Alphonse. “I’m a little bit tired, but it’s not too bad. We can keep going.”

Edward tugged at Alphonse’s backpack. “You OK on materials?” he asked.

Alphonse removed the backpack and began sorting through its contents. “I’ve got half a bottle of water, about a cup of oil, and a bag of salt. Haven’t used any of the charcoal yet.”

He zipped the bag back up. “That’s about it.”

“That’s not much,” said Edward.

“Yeah, but remember, we’re still underground. There’s material all around us. Besides, it’s not like I’ve been doing much.”

“That’s not true!” Sora protested. “You made a wall to stop that fireball in the last battle. If that’d hit me, we would’ve needed half our item supply before I’d be ready to keep going.”

“Don’t forget that thing you did with turning the floor all spiky,” Goofy pointed out. “That bunch of Heartless would’ve been too big for us if you hadn’t thought of that.”

Alphonse smiled. “Thanks.”

“Don’t forget – you’re the only alchemist here,” added Edward. “Not to mention the only one who can carry a flashlight during fights. The rest of us need two hands.”

He paused. “Well, OK, the alchemist part sounds more impressive.”

“No, both of those things are important,” said Alphonse.

He put the backpack back on. “We should keep going.”

As the four of them continued, Goofy looked through the other bag. Sora slowed down a bit until he was next to his friend, and stole a look at the supplies. This didn’t escape notice. “We’ve still got plenty,” Goofy told him.

“Good,” replied Sora.

He waited a little while, and then continued. “It’d be nice if that friend of yours was here,” he said, looking back towards Edward and Alphonse.

“Which one?” asked Edward.

“The one who uses alchemy for healing. You know, that girl that Al was writing to.”

“May? She’s not an alchemist. I thought I mentioned that,” answered Alphonse.

“Oh, right. She’s a…um…”

Sora thought about it for a while before Edward gave him the answer. “Alkahestrist,” he said.

“Yeah, that.”

“And she’s back home in Xing, so she couldn’t help even if she knew about all this,” added Alphonse. “But yeah, it’d be nice if she could. We wouldn’t have to worry as much about supplies, and it’d help to have an extra person around.”

Eventually, the group reached a split in the pathway. “Now what?” remarked Goofy.

“Now we pick one way or the other,” said Edward. “There aren’t enough of us to split up.”

Sora examined one pathway, then the other. “I hope we’re getting close,” he said. “If Riku or Kairi were here, they’d probably be able to tell.”

“Well, they’re not,” said Edward, sharply. “No use thinking about what-ifs. We’ll just have to guess.”

Sora took a few steps forward into the path to the front. “Let’s go this way. They both look the same from here.”

Alphonse shined the flashlight down the rightmost path. “Not really” he observed. “This path looks a bit too narrow. If we were attacked by Heartless in there, we wouldn’t have much room to fight them off.”

He moved the light towards the path forward. “This one looks safer.”

“Alright then, we’ll take your word for it,” said Sora.

As it turned out, the path they took wasn’t much better. It was wide at first, but as they progressed, it began to narrow. Eventually it was only about seven feet across. They considered turning back, but decided that they’d come far enough already. Without thinking much about it, someone – probably Sora – began walking faster. Everyone else ended up doing the same.

Eventually, something else became apparent. “It smells funny in here,” Goofy remarked.

“Oh wow, you’re right,” agreed Sora. “It’s pretty bad. “

When they entered the next room, the cause was obvious. It was fairly large, and most of the floor was covered in a puddle. The surface was covered in a shimmering, slimy film, kind of like a soap bubble in sunlight. “Is that oil?” asked Goofy.

Edward stirred at the puddle with the handle of his spear. “Yeah, some of it. But I think there’s water underneath.”

Everyone was quiet, and in the silence, a faint dripping sound could be heard. Every few seconds, it repeated, sending ripples through the pool. Alphonse pointed the flashlight towards the ceiling, revealing a small crack in the surface. “There’s a leak up there,” he said.

“Bet there’s some kind of pipes or machines above us,” said Sora. “Must be really old if they’re leaking that much.”

“Old, or just broken,” said Edward. “I doubt you get too many mechanics down here to fix them.”

Sora nodded in agreement. Suddenly, he summoned his Keyblade. “Something’s coming,” he announced.

Goofy swallowed hard. “Here?”

Seconds after he spoke, a large, spherical Heartless materialized above the pool. Two others followed. Sora took a few steps forward. “Been a while since I’ve seen any of these guys,” he said, thinking out loud.

“Anything we should know?” asked Alphonse.

“They’ll usually attack by biting or just ramming into you,” Sora explained, as the Heartless drew closer. “But they’re not too hard to beat. Just keep attacking, and don’t let your guard down.”

He charged into the room, and jumped at one of the Heartless, spinning a little bit in midair and slicing at it. Edward followed, running towards another of them. It lunged at him, gnashing its pointed teeth, but he put up his weapon to block it. The two pushed against each other for a few seconds until Edward took a few quick steps back. The Heartless shot forward again, but Edward knocked it away with a forward slice.

The third Heartless moved in towards Alphonse. Goofy stepped in front of him, and cut at it with the edge of his shield. It recoiled briefly, giving Goofy a chance to bash it a few times. Sora ran over to the stunned creature and slashed through it. It faded into darkness and vanished. “One down!” he announced.

That victory turned out to be short-lived. Two more Darkballs appeared in the center of the room. One headed towards Edward, and the other approached Goofy. “More of them!” Sora exclaimed.

He ran over to Edward, and joined his attack on one of the first Heartless. The two of them together managed to defeat it without much trouble, but it was quickly replaced by another.

Alphonse stepped back towards the passage they’d come from, trying to think of something he could do. The water might have been useful, but the oil mixed in would complicate things. Unless...

He moved all the way back into the tunnel. “Everyone, get over here!” he shouted.

The others took his advice, and ran out of the room after him. The Heartless tried to follow, but Alphonse raised a stone wall to seal them in the room. “So now what?” Edward asked. “We go back the other way?”

Alphonse shook his head. He clapped his hands, and bolts of blue light ran along the walls and past the barrier. Moments later, a bubbling sound was heard. It grew louder, hissing and popping, until finally several violent snaps were heard. Steam rushed through the cracks in the wall, and everyone backed away. After about half a minute of that, the noise died down.

Sora stared at Alphonse. “What was that?”

Alphonse responded by lowering the wall. The room was full of steam, and the puddle in the center was almost gone. The walls were covered with oil, and some of it was still bubbling on the floor. “I heated up the oil,” he explained. “That caused the water to boil, and everything to splatter around the room.”

“Like what happens when you put water in a skillet to see if cooking oil is hot,” Sora remarked. “Nice thinking, Al!”

Edward surveyed the room. “Looks like it did the trick,” he observed. “The Heartless are gone, and I don’t see any more coming in to take their place.”

He walked across the room to the next pathway. “Let’s not wait for them. C’mon.”

The path ahead started out as narrow as the last. As they progressed, it slowly began to widen, eventually leading into a large hallway. This area was better constructed, it seemed. The floor was lined with metal, the walls with concrete. The last few paths had just been stone or tightly-packed dirt. “I think we’re getting close,” said Alphonse.

“It is starting to look familiar,” Edward agreed.

Sora ran his hand against the wall as they continued forward. “Do you remember which way you took to the center?” he asked.

“No,” Edward replied. “Even if we did, we wouldn’t know how to get into the room. Pride took us in through the Gate, remember?”

“Right. Forgot about that.”

“Well, if there’s a gate to the middle, why don’t we just look for it?” asked Goofy.

His remark was followed by an awkward silence. “That’s right, you weren’t here when they explained everything,” said Sora, thinking out loud.

“Can I have the short version?”

Sora gave that a bit of thought. “It’s, uh…not something you want to mess with, so we’ll just look for the door.”

That was the best he could come up with. Sora glanced over at Edward, and the other boy seemed satisfied.

Not long after, Alphonse stopped walking. “If we’re getting near the center, then this might be a good place for a break,” he suggested.

“Sounds good,” said Edward.

He stopped, and leaned back a little on the wall. Alphonse sat down nearby. He was quiet for the next minute or so, taking the time to catch his breath. This didn’t escape notice. “You were more tired than you let on,” Edward observed.

Alphonse said nothing. “Why didn’t you ask for a break earlier?” asked Edward, frustrated.

“You know how sometimes you get back from a walk, and you don’t realize you’re tired until you stop? It’s like that,” Alphonse explained.

“Well, then I guess it’s good that we stopped,” said Sora.

He sat down next to the wall. “Do you think you’ll be able to face whatever we find?” asked Edward.

“Once I’m done resting, sure,” said Alphonse. “Besides, we need everyone. I can’t just leave the three of you.”

“Plus, if Al stayed out of it, the Heartless might find him,” Sora added. “It’s always safer to stick together. We can cover for him if it comes to that.”

For the next several minutes, no one spoke. Somewhere in the distance, the sound of dripping water could be heard, but the passage was nearly silent without their voices. The air was musty, but less so than it had been further back. Still, the atmosphere felt suffocating – more due to unease than any physical factors.

In the stillness and absence of conversation, Sora became aware of how truly isolated they were. He wasn’t used to places like this. Most of the strange places he’d explored were out in the open, where you could at least see in front of you without a light. He was used to landmarks and other things that made it easier to navigate. Here, everything looked pretty much the same. If he wasn’t right about following the stronger Heartless…

No. He couldn’t afford to worry about that. They would find their way to the center, and they would find out what was keeping the Heartless here. If there was something to fight, they’d fight it. Then they’d be done, and this world would be safe. He could go home, where it was warm and sunny and nothing like this place. It was an appealing thought.

* * *

  
Far from where he was, Riza was making her way back to the entrance along with Riku and Kairi. It hadn't been too difficult to retrace their path, but there was still unspoken concern among the three of them about going the right way. Fortunately, things still looked familiar.

Kairi quickened her pace and caught up to Riku. "I think we're almost out," she said.

"Looks like it," agreed Riku.

He scanned the floor with his flashlight beam. After a few seconds, he stopped, and pointed it at a hollowed spot on the floor. "I think that's where Al pulled the spear from. We must be really close."

Riza examined the area. They were back in the wide chamber with the metal floor, so it probably was the same place. "This was about ten minutes in," she recalled. "And if I remember right…"

She pointed to a pathway just ahead of where they stood. "That's the way we came."

"Then let's hurry," said Kairi. "You need enough time to cover the entrances before the others finish their job."

The three of them started in that direction, but were interrupted by a flash and a loud crack. A bolt of lightning had hit the floor where Riku and Kairi had been seconds before. Everyone drew their weapons, suddenly alert. A sound like radio static could be heard from somewhere behind them. Still cautious, Riza turned around.

As it turned out, there were two culprits. Both were serpentine in appearance, about eight feet long. The pair were nearly identical, aside from their coloration and their tails. One was black, with an appendage that looked like an electrical socket. The other was yellow, with a plug matching the socket in the same place. Both had reptilian heads, with long, sharp fangs protruding from their jaws.

The two reared up and hissed, their movements perfectly synchronized. "Are these Heartless?" asked Riza.

"No doubt," answered Riku.

"Have you seen this kind before?"

"No. Stay on your guard – I don't know what they're capable of."

Riza stepped back and waited while Riku and Kairi converged on the socket snake. It wouldn't be easy to get a good shot. Her allies moved quickly, and their target weaved around the area in an effort to avoid their attacks. Maybe it would be best to aim for its partner rather than risk hitting Riku or Kairi.

She pointed her handgun at the plug snake, tracing its movements with her arm. When it paused to strike, Riza took her chance. She fired, hitting the creature's neck. If this were an ordinary monster, something purely flesh and blood, it would be dead already. Heartless were different. The shot caused it to recoil, giving her the chance to fire again. This time, she hit its tail. Tiny sparks flew from the point of impact, but this wound didn't seem to bother the creature as much as the last.

It was, however, enough to shift the Heartless' attention to the one who'd inflicted it. Both of them retreated backwards a bit, away from Riku and Kairi. They hooked their tails together, plug into socket. The space between the creatures' bodies began to glow. Realizeing what was coming, Riku reached in Riza's direction. A bolt of lightning launched from the Heartless and connected with her.

Riku's barrier appeared in front of Riza a split second too late as she collapsed, her gun dropping to the floor in front of her. Kairi ran to her size. She was conscious, but was clearly dazed. She was shaking as Kairi helped her to her feet.

The Heartless advanced towards them, but Riiku intercepted their attack, knocking them backwards just a little. "Sorry," he said, between strikes. "I was too slow."

"Riku, it was lightning," said Kairi. "No one could have acted that fast."

Riku stole a quick look at the others before shifting his focus back to the Heartless. "Is she OK?" he shouted.

"I'm fine," Riza answered.

She turned towards Kairi. "Go help Riku," she said. "I'll do what I can from here."

Kairi ran over to Riku, blocking a strike meant for him. The creatures' fangs weren't just for show – Riku already had several cuts to prove it. Kairi joined him in attacking the socket snake again, making a mental note to get her friend a potion as soon as she had the chance.

Riza picked her gun up off the floor, and tried to take aim. But it wasn't so simple anymore. Her hands were still shaking – probably leftover from the shock. She couldn't aim properly like this. What if she hit Riku or Kairi by mistake?

She'd have to think of something else. But what else was there?

Meanwhile, it seemed like the socket snake was wearing down. It'd been the one that Riku and Kairi had focused their efforts on, especially after the lightning attack. If they could defeat one or the other, then things would get much easier. Even keeping it distracted would prevent the two Heartless from attacking in unison.

The Heartless weren't moving in sync like they had been at first – the socket snake had become too sluggish for that. Unfortunately, Kairi was slowing down as well. She had adapted quickly, but her lack of field experience meant that she didn't have the kind of stamina that Riku did. She wasn't reacting as quickly, and her breathing was getting faster and heavier. This didn't escape Riku's notice, and he'd begun to put in extra effort to cover her weaknesses. Well aware that this needed to end soon, Riku had begun to tap into the darkness more frequently. Its power strengthened his blows, surrounding his Keyblade in shadows as he struggled to keep up. Physical attacks were all he had right now – useful as it would have been, he didn't have enough energy for Dark Firaga or anything similar.

It only took one misstep to interrupt his offense. He took a bit too long to step back after an attack, and the plug snake lunged, ramming into the boy's chest. He fell backwards onto the floor with his breath knocked out of him.

Kairi's first instinct was to make sure he was okay, but she didn't have time for that. Both Heartless lunged at her, alternating blows and striking one after another. They forced her further and further back, closer to the wall.

Knowing that she couldn't keep dodging forever, Kairi decided to take a risk. After the socket snake's next attack, she jumped to the side and brought her Keyblade down on the back of its neck. The impact knocked it to the ground, and a few quick strikes later, it vanished.

Kairi reached into her bag and found a potion. She backed away from the plug snake and towards Riku, who was still not quite done recovering from the last attack. She handed him the bottle, eyes still fixed on the remaining enemy.

Riku thanked her and took the bottle, and Kairi ran back towards the plug snake. She was exhausted, but she had no choice but to keep fighting and trust that either Riku or Riza would back her up. A quick look around the room revealed that Riza was at a distance, focused on their opponent. Her gun wasn't out, but Kairi couldn't afford to wonder why. The plug snake headed towards her and swiped at her with its fangs. One of them grazed her arm, and she darted backwards, trying to ignore the pain. She blocked the next few attacks from the Heartless, but eventually one of them connected, knocking her off her feet.

She tried to get back up, but her whole body was screaming at her to take a break, and she couldn't seem to get to her feet. The plug snake was already getting close – there was no way she'd be able to get out of the way. Somewhere in the room, Riku shouted her name.

And then something hit its head. It stopped and turned towards Riza, who was holding her coat in one hand. She slapped the creature's face with it a few more times, and used its moment of distraction to throw the coat over its head. She held on tight to the fabric as the Heartless struggled underneath.

In the meantime, Riku ran over to Kairi. A single potion hadn't been enough for a complete recovery, but it was enough to keep him going for now. He helped his friend to her feet. "Can you still fight?" he asked.

"I don't know," answered Kairi.

Riku took a few steps towards the others. Riza yanked on her coat, pulling the plug snake to the floor. She stomped on it a few times as it tried to get back up. "I'll help her out," said Riku. "Use as many potions as you need – don't try to keep fighting until you've had at least one. Got that?"

Kairi nodded. Riku ran towards the plug snake, slicing into its raised tail before it could strike with it. Riza tossed her coat to him. "Don't let that thing get back up," she told him. "I have an idea."

Riku pinned the Heartless down at its midsection, holding the coat down with one foot on either side. It thrashed violently as Riku inched the coat further up its body towards its neck. He kept this up for a little longer before Riza moved in closer. She grabbed her gun, positioned it right next to the creature's head, and fired. That wasn't enough, so she fired again. And again, until finally it disappeared.

Kairi approached her, another potion in hand. "I think you need this," she said. "And I think we all need a break."

Riza took the potion and stood back up. "You do that. I don't have time for a break," she said. "We're almost back at the entrance. I'll go the rest of the way alone.

"Alone?'' echoed Kairi. "Are you sure? What if you run into more Heartless?"

"I doubt I will. We didn't start seeing them until we were past this point," Riza reminded her.

She frowned. "Besides, I need to get out of here as soon as possible. We don't know how much time we have, or how long it'll take me to get backup."

Kairi still looked concerned, but Riku seemed to understand. "We'll stay here and rest a little," he said. "Be careful."

"You too."

With that said, Riza ran though the exit and out of sight.

* * *

  
"That's quite a door," said Edward.

The structure was placed at the end of an otherwise unremarkable hallway. It reached almost all the way to the ceiling, and was covered in dust. Its surface was carved with a series of elaborate patterns. Some looked like they might be words, although no one in the group could read them. "Does it open?" asked Goofy.

Alphonse approached the door, and turned the knob. He pushed against the door, but nothing happened. "Doesn't look like it."

"No big deal," said Sora. "Just let me at it."

He summoned his Keyblade, and pointed it at the knob. A beam of light shot out from the tip, and a soft click could be heard. "This thing isn't just for fighting Heartless," he explained.

"Damn," said Edward, impressed. "Talk about useful."

"Sure is," said Goofy. "We've found all kinds of locks, and it works on all of 'em. It's not called a KEYblade for nothing."

Sora approached the door. "I think this might be what we're looking for," he said. "Everyone ready?"

"We all healed after that last bunch of Heartless," said Alphonse. "I don't think we'll get any more ready than we are now."

Everyone seemed to agree. "Well, in that case…" said Sora.

He turned the knob, and pushed the door open.


	19. Showdown

The room was just as it had been left, save for the gaping hole in the ceiling. That had been repaired some time ago. But the floor was uneven, with blocks of stone jutting out from several places, and the pipes Father had used were strewn around the room. For Edward and Alphonse, just looking at the place brought back memories and emotions. Fear, desperation, anger, grief…the intensity of those moments was almost tangible, even six months later.

              For Sora and Goofy, this place was new. And yet… “It feels weird here,” Sora remarked. “Like the air is heavy.”

              “A lot happened here,” said Alphonse. “Even before we got here, Father had been setting up his plans for hundreds of years. That kind of atmosphere doesn’t just go away.”

              “Your dad lived down here?” asked Goofy, thoroughly confused.

              Edward placed a few fingers on his forehead. “No, not our father. That’s just what he called himself.”

              “Oh.”

              Goofy took a few steps forward, and started looking around. “Well, there’s nobody here but us,” he said. “You guys sure we’re in the right place?”

              “There’s no mistaking it,” answered Edward.

              The room became uncomfortably silent. “How can there be nothing here?” said Sora. “There has to be something keeping the Heartless underground, and this would be the perfect place for it.”

              “Let’s look harder,” Alphonse suggested. “We can’t give up after coming all the way here.”

              The four of them split up a little, and began to inspect the room. They kept looking for a few minutes – Alphonse lighting up the dark corners with his flashlight, Edward examining the walls, Sora and Goofy sifting through the debris scattered on the floor. Initially, they found nothing. They continued to search, going over the same spots over and over in hopes that something had changed. But the room remained the same.

              It wasn’t until Sora started looking around the pipes that anything seemed different. One of them seemed to be leaking something. He put a hand into the opening and ran his fingers through the stuff. Almost immediately, he recoiled, pulling his hand back and shaking it off. “It’s _cold_!” he exclaimed.

              Edward turned around and looked over at him. “What’s cold?” he asked.

              “The stuff in the pipes!” said Sora, loudly. “It’s this black sludge, and it’s really cold when you touch it.”

              Edward walked over to the pipes, and peered into one of them. “That’s odd.”

              “Do you know what it its?”

              “No idea. Never seen anything – “

              Goofy interrupted them. “Guys?”

              Sora looked up to see his friend backing away and holding up his shield. “Something wrong?”

              “That stuff’s moving on its own!” shouted Goofy.

              Sora jumped to his feet and took several steps back. The sludge had begun to leak out of several pipes, and was forming a puddle a few feet behind Edward. Alphonse adjusted the flashlight towards the area as the puddle continued to grow. Edward moved away from the area, watching carefully and still holding onto his spear. “I think we might’ve found it,” he announced.

              “We found something, that’s for sure,” said Alphonse.

              The stuff kept draining, moving towards the center of the room. Eventually, it began to lift off the ground in long trails. It pulled itself together into a spherical shape and continued to grow until it was a few feet across, at which point it had absorbed all the sludge. The sphere floated motionless in midair. The group waited, unsure of what to expect, and prepared for the worst.

              Eventually, the sphere twitched a little, still suspended above the floor. And then, an eye appeared on its surface – a single eye, glowing yellow in the dim light.

              The group had only a split second to react before the sphere changed again. Shadowy tendrils shot out from its body, lashing against Edward. He sidestepped out of the way, but the appendages pulled back a little and shot towards him again. They struck him one after another until Sora sliced through them. “You OK?” he asked.

              The attacks had stung, but they hadn’t done any real damage. “Yeah,” replied Edward.

              He moved into position next to Sora, eyes on the sphere. The tendrils pulled back into it, and emerged on the other side, erupting from the sphere’s form and going straight for Alphonse. Goofy ran in front of him, blocking the tendrils with his shield. They hammered on its surface, and knocked Goofy back a little with every blow. Meanwhile, Alphonse clapped his hands together and pressed them against the floor. A tower of stone rose up beneath his feet and lifted him about six feet into the air. He hoped this would take the creature’s attention off him, so he could aid the others from a distance. Unfortunately, it noticed. The tentacles stopped attacking Goofy and shot up towards Alphonse. One of them grabbed hold of him, wrapped itself around him, and threw him across the room.

              He didn’t have time to react, but his brother did. Edward ran over to Alphonse and managed to break his fall, knocking both of them to the ground. Alphonse rolled off of Edward and slowly got to his feet. “Thanks,” he said.

              Edward sat up. “Good thing you’re still pretty light.”

              He stood and looked back at the creature. It had two eyes now – one much smaller than the other – and it seemed to be a bit larger than it was before. Sora was keeping it busy. He sliced at the tentacles whenever they came near him, trying to get closer to its main body. Goofy tried to sneak up on it from behind, but the effort was unsuccessful. One of the tentacles shot out in the other direction and sent him flying backwards.

              Edward picked his spear back up. “It’s still changing,” he said, his voice low. “Be ready for anything – I don’t know what the hell this thing is.”

              “You don’t think it’s a Heartless?” asked Alphonse.

              “Not a normal one. It seems different than the ones we fought on the way here.”

              By now, the creature was more of an oval than a sphere. The tentacles had divided themselves into two masses, both of which were attached to the lower half of the creature’s body. Its surface was twitching and rippling even as they watched. “They need help,” announced Edward.

              He ran back into the battle. As soon as he was close enough, he lifted his weapon above his head, jumped into the air, and slashed downward. A large cut appeared in the creature’s side, but it reformed almost immediately. “Cutting it doesn’t do anything,” shouted Sora. “I already tried!”

              “Then how are we supposed to beat it?” Edward shouted back.  
              “I don’t know!”

              The left set of tentacles whipped out towards Edward. He tried to block them with his spear, but it was too narrow – they just went around and hit him from the side. They kept pounding at him, eventually knocking him over. He tried to get up, but the tentacles just pushed him down every time he tried.

              Sora started to move towards him, but Alphonse grabbed his shoulder. “I have an idea,” he said. “Stay back.”

              Alphonse examined the area a little before glancing up at the ceiling. He pressed his hands together, creating sparks that shot up towards the ceiling. After a few seconds, loud cracks could be heard. “Brother! Get out of the way!” he shouted.

              Edward got up and started running as soon as the ceiling began to give way. A few massive chunks broke loose above the creature, and before it could react, it was crushed beneath them.

              All four members of the group were silent. Finally, Goofy spoke up. “Is it over?” he asked, nervously.

              “It can’t be that easy,” said Edward. “Keep your guard up.”

              For a little longer, the room was still. But the calm was short-lived. Slowly, the black sludge began to seep out from the rubble, draining into pools along the edges. It rose off the ground, twisting and intertwining itself to recreate the creature’s form. Only this time, it looked very different.

              It was humanoid in shape – almost. It was like someone had tried to sculpt a human body without really knowing what one looked like. Its limbs were too long, its head was the wrong size, and the whole thing just seemed misshapen. Several faint blotches appeared on its body, all giving off the same yellow glow as its eyes.

              Sora took a good look at it, Keyblade at the ready. “I think it is a Heartless,” he said. “But something seems…off.”

              The creature touched down and stood on top of the rubble. For a time, it waited, motionless. It was Sora who made the first move. He took a few cautious steps forward before breaking into a run. He sliced at the creature, but it didn’t even seem to notice. The cuts he made were repaired within seconds, no matter how deep they’d been.

              Without warning, all the yellow spots shifted towards him, behaving like eyes focusing on a target. The creature’s arm stretched out ward and slammed into Sora, knocking him back off the pile of rubble. Alphonse ran over to him, one hand sifting through his backpack. He tossed Sora the first potion he found. Quickly, he put up a slab of rock between himself and the creature. It wasn’t going to last long, if the rest of the battle had been any indication, but it gave Sora enough time to use the item. He thanked Alphonse and ran back towards the creature.

              Its attention was currently focused on Goofy. Ordinarily, he would have tried some kind of special maneuver, but right now he couldn’t afford to try anything fancy. It was taking all the attention he had to block his enemy’s attacks. The creature pulled an arm back, positioning it for another strike. Before it could attack again, Edward charged in from behind, and stabbed it through the torso. He thrust the spear upward, tearing the creature’s body in two.

              It worked for a few seconds, before the creature grabbed the spear away from Edward. It advanced towards him, its upper body mending the damage all the while. It snapped the spear in half, and grabbed onto Edward.

              This time, it wasn’t trying to knock him away. As soon as the arm made contact, it became fluid and wrapped itself around its target. The sludge continued to spread until it had surrounded most of Edward’s body. Its touch was icy cold, and it hurt. He could barely move, let alone free himself.

              The creature began to draw him in closer, and as it did so, his vision began to blur. He was vaguely aware of the others trying to get over to him, but at the same time, strange scenes began to play out in his head. Flashes of visions blended together, one after another. He recognized some of the people involved. Father was almost always present, and so were several of the Homunculi. There were a lot of people he didn’t recognize. Government agents? Soldiers? Some of the scenes seemed recent, other felt like they’d taken place a long time ago. The closer the creature dragged him, the more vivid the images became.

              He felt something press against his chest, and a split second later, he was back to reality, on the floor and freed from the creature’s grip. He sat up and saw Alphonse next to him. “What…was…?”

              “That thing almost had you,” Alphonse told him. “The Heartless try to take people’s hearts, right? Maybe that’s what it was trying to do. Are you OK?”

              “I think so,” said Edward. “Can you make me another weapon? That thing broke my spear.”

              “I’ll see what I can do. Just stay here, and I’ll…”

              Alphonse trailed off. “Brother, wait!”

              Edward was already headed back towards the creature. Weapon or no weapon, the others needed him. As he got closer, the strange, dreamlike visions returned to his thoughts. What were they? Why had coming into contact with that Heartless triggered them?

              Were they…memories? That didn’t seem quite right. They hadn’t been from any one individual. It was more like viewing the events from an outside perspective. He couldn’t remember any specifics, but they’d all had one thing in common…

              “Ed, watch out!”

              Sora’s voice jolted him out of his thoughts. He jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the creature’s fist. Quickly, he ducked under its arm and kicked it hard in the side. It didn’t seem to do much damage, but it did stun the creature just long enough for Goofy to slam into it from the back. It fell on the ground, but only stayed there for a second or two before rising back up. It floated in the air for a split second before landing. “This isn’t working,” Edward said, frustrated.

              He threw a few punches before backing up. “Just hitting this thing won’t do anything – it just keeps regenerating. We need something stronger.”

              “Like what?” asked Sora. “I can’t use magic here. Hitting it is all I _can_ do!”

              Goofy nodded in agreement. “Even when Al dropped those boulders on it, it just came right back.”

              “But that was just more blunt force,” said Edward. “Maybe if we could do something different…”

              Alphonse ran up to the rest of them. “The only metal in here is the pipes, and I can’t get there without that thing noticing me,” he said. “Can you manage without a weapon?”

              “For now,” replied Edward.

              The creature advanced towards Edward. It swung one arm towards him, but Sora cut through its wrist before it could reach its target. “Al, do you have anything left in your bag?” he asked.

              “Just the charcoal,” Alphonse answered. “What do you want me to do with that?”

              “You’re the alchemist here,” Edward reminded him. “Do whatever you want!”

              Alphonse stepped back a bit while the others kept the creature busy. He sorted through the backpack until he found the bag of charcoal. He didn’t have much time to think about it, though. The creature’s spots shifted in his direction, and it began to charge towards him.

              Working as quickly as possible, Alphonse threw the charcoal to one side, clapped his hands together, and pressed into the ground. A few feet away, the charcoal changed shape, the pieces merging into a thick cylinder. Sora and Edward ran towards the creature and started pounding its back, but it hardly seemed to notice. Goofy went around in front of it, his shield at the ready. “Do what you gotta do,” he told Alphonse. “I’ll hold it back.”

              Alphonse picked up the charcoal rod and headed straight for the nearest wall. He pushed into it, and sparks flew across its surface, changing the smooth stone into a texture more like sandpaper.

              He glanced back at the others. Despite their best efforts, the creature was getting closer and closer. This had to work quickly. Hoping for the best, Alphonse scraped the charcoal against the wall.

              Nothing happened. He tried again – faster this time. Still nothing. Behind him, Goofy was knocked aside and sent flying towards the wall. Alphonse positioned the stick of charcoal to one side as the creature drew closer. This wasn’t going to work without alchemy. He swiped it across the wall one last time, and as it hit the surface, more blue sparks left from the wall to the charcoal. This time, the stick caught fire. Before it could spread from the tip, Alphonse turned around and plunged it into the creature’s body.

              For a few seconds, nothing happened. The creature just stood in place, and Alphonse took the chance to put some distance between them. Then, slowly, a reddish glow could be seen from inside the creature’s body. It spread wider, creeping through its core.

              And in an instant, the creature’s whole body went up in flames. Fire shot up into the air, and it almost seemed to be panicking. It threw itself onto the ground over and over again, bits of hot sludge spraying in every direction. It tore at its own body, as if trying to find the charcoal, but each attempt just damaged it further. “I guess it can’t heal itself when it’s on fire,” said Edward. “Looks like we found its weakness.”

              “This would’ve been a lot easier if I had magic,” said Sora, quietly.

              The creature continued its desperate attempts to recover, but the flames just kept burning. It grew smaller and smaller, until all that remained was a steaming puddle on the floor. Eventually, that too disappeared.

              Everyone remained alert, until it became clear that there was nothing else to worry about. “What was that thing, anyway?” asked Goofy. “It sure didn’t seem like a regular Heartless.”

              “I think I might know,” replied Edward.

              He paused for a moment, trying to think of how to explain. “When that thing grabbed me, I started seeing things. All these bits of memories flashed in my head – and all of them took place in this room.”

              Sora seemed confused. “You’re saying the Heartless was here the whole time?”

              “No, I don’t think so,” Edward continued. “I think it’s more like what Al said earlier. This room was where all of Father’s plans took shape. Heck, it’s probably where the Homunculi were born. So maybe, after hundreds of years of his presence, this place built up enough darkness that some of it is still here. “

              “And then when the Heartless came to this world, that darkness led them to this place,” Sora added. “That one we fought must’ve absorbed all the bits of memories along with the darkness. So when it got close to your heart…”

              “You could see ‘em too!” finished Goofy.

              Edward shrugged. “Something like that. You guys know all this weird metaphysics stuff better than I do.”

              Alphonse thought about all that for a moment. “That makes sense, I guess,” he said. “But then why did the Heartless stay underground?”

              “Maybe the one in here was following Father’s example?” Sora suggested. “He couldn’t leave the underground, right? So maybe the Heartless thought they couldn’t, either. Maybe those leftover memories were keeping them here.”

              “But wait a minute. If that’s what was keeping them here…” said Alphonse.

              Edward’s eyes widened. “Then it’s just like we figured. Now that the big one’s gone, there’s nothing keeping them out of the city!”

* * *

 

              When the Heartless began to appear, they started slow. There were only a few, and Riku and Kairi had no trouble fending them off. But their numbers grew quickly from there. More and more of them arrived, crowding the corridor.

              Riku took the lead. He cut through wave after wave of them, throwing all his strength into keeping them at bay. Kairi stayed behind him, picking off any individuals that managed to get past Riku. Her inexperience meant that she lacked her friend’s speed and power, but she put everything she had into this fight. She knew what it would mean if the Heartless made it above ground.

              The two of them continued to fight, but the onslaught forced them closer and closer to the entrance. “We can’t keep going back!” Riku shouted. “Any farther, and we’ll risk them breaking through.”

              “I’m doing the best I can!” cried Kairi.

              “I know you are. Just hang in a little longer.

              Kairi came up beside Riku and handed him a potion. “I don’t have time for that,” was his respoinse.

              “Don’t be stupid – you’re bleeding all over the place. I can handle them while you use it.”

              “Are you sure?”

              “Yes! Just use the potion!”

              Riku took a few steps back, and Kairi took his place at the front. She wasn’t in the best shape herself, he noticed, but sticking to the rear meant she’d taken a lot less damage than he had. As soon as his wounds were healed, he ran right back into the fray to join her.

              After what felt like forever, the rest of the group arrived. They’d been running for quite a long time, but there wasn’t any time to rest. Sora ran up to his friends. “Are you two OK?” he asked.

              “About time you got here,” said Riku. “We were barely managing with just the two of us.”

              Alphonse pointed the flashlight back down the corridor. “I don’t see any end to them,” he announced.

              Edward readied a newly-formed spear. “It doesn’t matter. We have to stop them here.”

              He motioned for Alphonse to come closer. “Stay near me, OK? I’ll cover for you.”

              The flood of Heartless didn’t get any slower. In fact, the kinds they were seeing now were stronger than earlier. It became harder and harder to hold them back, even with six people. As the struggle continued, they’d all begun to tire. All of them knew that they couldn’t stop – not given what was at stake.

              And yet…they all knew that they couldn’t keep fighting forever.

              The onslaught continued to push them back. More and more of the Heartless were slipping past, and going back to stop them meant compromising their position. Before anyone could do anything about it, the staircase leading to the exit was in view.

              Edward started towards the staircase. “Everyone, get over here and form a wall. This is our last chance!”

              The others followed his direction and clustered near the stairs. By this point, they were all exhausted. “Al, do you have any potions left?” asked Sora.

              Alphonse put a hand into his bag. “I’m out,” he said.

              “I only have one left,” added Kairi.

              “This is bad,” remarked Goofy.

              The mob of Heartless grew closer. “I’m going to cave in the passageway,” Alphonse announced.

              “It’s too dangerous!” shouted Riku. “What if one of us gets caught in it?”

              “What choice do we have? If we don’t stop them here – “

              Suddenly, the door opened.

              A massive fireball engulfed the entire group of Heartless. More of them came up from behind to join the few that had survived. Another explosion, and they were wiped out as well.

              Roy looked down at the group from the top of the staircase. “Looks like you could use some backup,” he said.

              “Colonel?” blurted Edward. “I thought you were busy!”

              “I had a meeting. It ended an hour ago, and that’s plenty of time to respond to an emergency.”

              He leaned back through the door. “All units, get down here and provide backup. Don’t let a single one of these creatures into the city.”

              Footsteps could be heard from the other side of the doorway. “What about us?” asked Sora.

              “You and the others are free to go. We’ll handle things from here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was particularly hard to write, which is part of why it took so long. Now that things will be winding down, the rest of the story should come more easily. At the very least, you probably won't have to wait four months for the next chapter.


	20. Lock and Key

Ordinarily, the group would have been rushing to return to the others. The battle had left them exhausted, however, and so they walked instead. Slowly and carefully, they found their way through the city streets and back to the café.

By now, it was the middle of the afternoon. The café was nearly empty aside from the staff. The only ones left were Winry, Pinako, and Donald, still waiting at the same table they'd been left at. As soon as she heard the door open, Winry looked up from her book. Once she saw that the others were back, a huge smile appeared on her face. She leapt up from her seat, ran across the room, and pulled Edward and Alphonse into a hug.

The three of them stayed like that for a few seconds before pulling apart. "You made it," said Winry, her voice a mix of joy and relief.

"Of course we did," Edward answered.

Donald ran up to the rest of the group, with Pinako following not far behind. "You beat the Heartless?" he asked.

"We sure did!" exclaimed Goofy.

"The Colonel brought in soldiers to cover the exit," Sora explained. "I think they'll be able to handle whatever's left."

"The Heartless that didn't go for the exit will probably leave once we seal the Keyhole," said Riku.

"I sure hope so," said Alphonse.

Sora glanced over at the books on the table. "So did you figure out where the Keyhole is?" he asked.

"Well, we can't be entirely sure until you check, but – " Winry began

Donald interrupted her. "It's at the Ruins of Xerxes!"

Edward looked at Alphonse, confused. "What'd he say?"

"Xerxes, I think," said Alphonse.

"It'd make sense, wouldn't it?" Winry continued. "That's where our country's roots trace back to. It's also the birthplace of alchemy. So in terms of significance, it seems about right for what you're looking for."

Edward scanned the café. In terms of customers, they were the only ones there, but the woman behind the counter was starting to look at them funny. "Maybe we should finish the conversation back home," he suggested.

* * *

The ride home was surprisingly crowded. Almost all the cars were full, and the group had to split up and take what seats they could get. "A lot of people take the train into the city to work, so this time of day is one of the busiest," explained Winry.

She and Sora had ended up in a booth towards the back of the train. "There are so many people here," Sora remarked. "I've never seen a world quite like it."

Winry frowned. "Are you sure it's OK to talk about this in public?"

Sora's response was to point to the young businesswoman asleep next to him. "I don't think she's listening."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Still, keep it quiet. She's not the only one around."

The two of them were quiet for a moment. "Sora?" said Winry.

"Hm?"

"Once you seal the keyhole, you and your friends will leave, right? What will you do then?"

"Well, first we'll tell the King what happened here," he said. "He's the one who sent us, after all, so he'll want to know that things worked out. And after that…well, I guess we'll go home."

"How long had it been since you got home in the first place?"

"A few months. Coming here was a special request, and it was kinda short-notice. Hopefully it'll be a while before we have to deal with anything else."

Winry looked down, and shifted her feet a little. "But you will, won't you? Eventually, you'll be needed again."

Another pause. For a moment, Winry's words left Sora stunned. It wasn't like he hadn't thought about this – about when it would end, or if it ever would. But right now, for some reason, it hit him harder than it had before. "Are you alright?" she asked.

He looked back at her. "Yeah. Right now, we're the only ones besides the King who can use Keyblades, so as long as the Heartless are out there, someone will need to deal with them."

"And…you're OK with that?" asked Winry.

Sora leaned back in his seat a little. "It felt unfair, at first," he said. "Like, why'd it have to be me? Why was I so special? It didn't really make sense."

As he continued, one hand found its way towards his chest. "But I've made it this far, haven't I? And the whole way, I've had friends I could count on. I meet new ones in every world I go to. Knowing that all of them are rooting for me…it gives me the strength I need to keep going forward. Even if they're far away, even if I never see some of them again – we're a part of each other's hearts. That's not going to change."

Winry chuckled. "That's pretty cheesy, you know that?"

Sora moved his hand behind his head. "Maybe a little."

"But I think you might be on to something. Life isn't always easy, but taking it on together makes it easier."

"Exactly."

Winry smiled. "I guess you can add all of us to the list now. I'm not sure about all that stuff about our hearts being connected, but I doubt I'll forget you anytime soon."

* * *

Once the group reached the house, everyone quickly gathered in the living room. "So…the ruins of Xerxes, huh?" said Edward. "You sure about that?"

Winry shrugged. "It was Donald's idea. Ask him."

Everyone looked towards Donald. "It makes more sense than any of the other places," he said.

"Well, if that's where you're going, it shouldn't be hard to get there. You've got your spaceship or whatever," Edward replied.

"Gummi ship," Donald corrected.

"OK fine, your candy ship."

"It's not made of candy!" shouted Donald. "It's a flexible, high density – "

"WHO THE HELL CARES?" exclaimed Edward

"Basically, you're saying distance isn't an issue, right?" said Alphonse.

Edward waved his arms at Alphonse. "See? Al knows what I'm talking about."

"Guys, calm down," said Sora.

Everyone was quiet for a little while. "But even if that's the case, the ruins cover a large area," said Edward. "Getting there won't be a problem, but how will you know where to look?"

Sora took a moment to think before continuing. "I'm guessing the ship will put us down nearby."

"Didn't you say something like that when we got here?" asked Riku. "Something about how the ship always drops you off where you need to be?"

"Yeah, that's what it seems like," Sora confirmed.

He motioned towards the others. "Think about it. Out of all the places in this world, we ended up in this town. And because of that, we met you guys. Because of all that's happened, you knew stuff about this world that most people wouldn't. That gave us a better shot at completing our mission."

"Well, when you put it that way…" said Kairi.

Riku seemed skeptical. "That's an awfully vague idea to base things on. What if you're wrong? This place is in the middle of a desert – we can't just walk around until we find it."

"It's the best idea we have," Sora replied. "Unless you've got something better?"

Riku shrugged. "I guess we could try scanning from the air if we needed to. But for now, I guess you're right. We might as well try it."

He stood up. "Come on. We should get this done as soon as possible."

Edward looked straight at him. "So…that's it, then? You're going?"

Sora looked away. "There are people waiting for us at home. It wouldn't be fair to stay here any longer than we need to."

"Any chance you'll visit again?" asked Winry.

"Probably not. This world is a long way from all the others. If the Heartless are gone, we'd have no reason to come back," explained Riku.

"Yeah…I guess that makes sense," said Winry.

She seemed a bit disappointed. "So this really is goodbye," said Alphonse, quietly.

The room grew strangely silent. "You've done everyone here a great service," said Pinako. "Even if most people won't know about it, we will always be grateful."

"What she said," Edward added.

Alphonse looked around the room. "I'm so glad to have met you," he said. "Thanks for everything."

"You too," replied Sora.

Donald tapped Sora on the shoulder. "We need to go," he reminded him.

"Right."

Sora walked towards the door, and the other four members of his group followed. He turned back, gave a quick wave, and left along with them.

* * *

The sun sank below the horizon, painting the desert sky with shades of pink and gold. The heat of the day was beginning to recede, leaving the sands to cool in its absence. The remnants of a once-grand city cast shadows across the ground. It was silent, just as it had been for centuries.

Sora, Riku, and Kairi arrived in the middle of it. Immediately, they began to look around. "This is it," Sora announced. "We're in the right place."

He summoned his Keyblade, and began walking. "How do you know?" asked Riku.

Sora looked back at him. "Not sure, really. But it's just like with all the other worlds I've been to. It just feels right."

The others followed him as he continued onward. The sun set lower and lower as they walked, and the evening began to give way to nighttime. The air grew cooler, the shadows faded, and starlight was all that was left to see by.

When they finally stopped, it was at the foot of a small staircase, half-buried in sand. At the top was a platform, and in the back, a large stone object. It had been a disc, once, but now half of it was missing. The desert had worn away at its surface, but the faint outline of a carved pattern was still visible.

Sora walked up to the structure. "So…this is where it all started, huh?" he said, softly.

The disc's surface began to glow. Just above the broken edge, the glowing outline of a Keyhole appeared. Sora took a few steps back, and reached out towards it, Keyblade in hand. A brilliant beam of light shot out from its tip, and connected with the Keyhole. Somewhere in the distance, a soft click could be heard.

The lights vanished, and the scene returned to normal. "We'd better head back," said Kairi. "Donald and Goofy went ahead of us, remember? We don't want to fall too far behind."

"Yeah, and we don't want to keep Mickey waiting," Riku added. "We haven't contacted him in a while – he's probably worried sick about us."

Sora smiled. "We're going to have a lot to tell him when we get back."

He took one last look up at the sky above – one last look at the stars he didn't recognize.

It was time to go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came easily - after a bit of delay, I managed to finish it in a single weekend. Pretty sure this is the fastest update this story has ever had. 
> 
> Just the epilogue left to go. At this rate, it'll probably be up by the end of the month, if not the end of the week.


	21. Epilogue - Distance

_Those born of a far-off world  
Burdened with knowledge of what lies beyond_

“It still doesn’t quite seem real, does it?” Alphonse remarked.

He and Edward sat together on the porch. The afternoon sun sat high in the sky, and the tall grass rustled in the wind. It was as peaceful a day as one could imagine. “Yes and no,” Edward answered. “What happened feels real enough. It’s just the implications that I’m trying to wrap my head around.”

“It’s a lot to take in,” Alphonse continued. “There are whole other _worlds_ out there – more than we can imagine. All those places, and all those people…all living their lives without knowing any of it.”

“Well, now we know,” Edward reminded him. “Not that it really matters. This last week is probably the only contact we’ll ever get with the outside.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Alphonse paused. “We really won’t see them again, will we?”

“They said it themselves – now that the Heartless are gone, there’s no reason for them to come back. It’s probably for the best.”

“Yeah, I know. But it was kind of fun, having them around.”

Edward shrugged. “They were interesting, that’s for sure.”

“Oh, come on! You’re going to miss them too!”

Edward chuckled. “Maybe a little.”

The door opened, and Winry walked onto the porch. “Lunch is ready,” she said. “Grandma isn’t going to be happy if you don’t eat it while it’s hot.”

Edward stood up. “She’s right. C’mon, Al – you can keep contemplating the universe after lunch.”

_Monarch of a quiet kingdom  
The next step lies close at hand_

Mickey reached into the drawer and pulled out a large crystal ball. It hadn’t been that long since he’d used it, but even so, a thin layer of dust coated its surface. He brushed it off and placed it on top of the desk. He whispered a few words – hopefully, he remembered the spell right – and waited.

Slowly, the crystal’s surface began to cloud, until it was impossible to see through to what was behind it. A face began to appear in the center. At first, it was too fuzzy to be recognizable, but it soon became unmistakable. It was a man’s face, framed by a long gray beard and topped with a pointed hat. He was not a young man by any means, but his gaze carried an intensity that had not dimmed with time. “Master Yen Sid?” said Mickey.

“It is good to see you well,” the man answered. “Tell me – what of the mission? Is the outer world safe?”

“It sure is. Sora and the others made sure of that.”

Yen Sid nodded. “I assumed as much. The pathways to the world seem to be closing. If the Keyhole has been sealed, then it will soon be nigh unreachable. It should be safe from the Heartless.”

Mickey was quiet for a moment. “Y’know, these outer worlds are kinda funny, aren’t they? They’re way off in the distance, witihout any ties to the worlds we know best. Sora said they couldn’t even use magic in this one! I’ve never heard of anything like that before.”

Yen Sid was silent for a while, deep in thought. “You know the tale of how these worlds were formed, do you not?” he said.

“Of course. There used to be just one world, but then the Keyblade War split them apart,” answered Mickey.

“Precisely. But I wonder…were these outer worlds ever a part of the original world? Perhaps they have always existed alone.”

“Is that possible?”

“Perhaps. But if that is the case, then it may be best for them to remain untouched. The fact that we could access them at all may have been an anomaly.

“But then why would they have Keyholes?”

“That, I cannot say. But for the time being, it will have to remain a mystery. I fear we have more pressing matters on our hands.”

“Xehanort,” murmured Mickey.                

“As you know by now, he will have found his way back into existence through the destruction of both his Heartless and Nobody. Have you considered my proposal?”

“The Mark of Mastery?”

“Yes. Sora and Riku hold great power as is, but they will need more than that if Xehanort is to be stopped. They have succeeded in the task you have given them. Do you believe they are ready?”

“I do.”

“And the Princess of Heart? She, too, wields a Keyblade.”

Mickey shook his head. “She’s not ready yet. But we shouldn’t ignore her, either. She’s not the type to sit and wait around forever.”

“If training is what she requires, that could be arranged. But the Mark of Mastery is of the highest importance. I will begin preparations at once.”

“Wait!” cried Mickey.

Yen Sid frowned. “Is something wrong?”

“You wanna get started right now? They just got home! Don’t ya think they deserve some peace and quiet first?”

“Xehanort will not wait for us,” Yen Sid reminded him.

“Of course, but can’t we wait just a little bit?”

The old man sighed. “If you insist. I will give them as much time as the situation will allow.”

_Fragments of land upon an endless ocean  
Rest, now, in the place you call home_

Sora stayed on the beach a little longer than Riku and Kairi. Wanting time alone was unusual for him, but at that moment, he needed a bit of time to process things. These last several days had been more exhausting than he realized.

He kept coming back to what Winry had said, on that last train ride home. How long would he be needed, anyway? Would he really have to spend his whole life fighting the Heartless? It wasn’t something he’d overlooked, but it wasn’t something he’d really sat down and thought about, either. All he knew for sure was that things would never really be the same for him.

After thinking it over for a while, he walked down to the dock and climbed into his rowboat. For now, at least, he could relax. Worrying about the future could wait.

When he reached his house, he didn’t even have to knock. His mother answered the door and hugged him tightly, and seconds later, his father joined them. “I’m so glad you’re alright,” said his mother, almost in tears.

The three of them pulled apart. “How long has it been?” asked Sora.

“It’s been four days,” his father answered.

That was less time than Sora remembered. Time wasn’t the same between worlds, so this meant that Amestris moved faster than the islands.

Suddenly, someone came in from the next room over. She was a young woman, a little short, with a bit of a tan. Her dark brown hair was tied back in a loose ponytail, framing a childlike face. “Sora?” she asked.

She ran up to him, beaming. “Out being a hero again, huh? Glad you’re back in one piece.”

Sora grinned. “That’s all you have to say, Akemi?” he asked, crossing his arms in mock frustration. “It’s been more than two years since I’ve seen you!”

Akemi’s expression became a bit more serious. “It has been a while, huh?” she said, quietly. “I mean, I know you filled me in on everything, but it’s still…”

She trailed off. “You don’t look like a kid anymore. My little brother grew up, and I wasn’t even there to see it.”

At this point, their parents had left, leaving the two alone. Sora wasn’t sure what to say, so it was Akemi who spoke next. “Hey, tell me what you were up to this time,” she insisted. “All the juicy details. C’mon!”

“It’s kind of a long story,” said Sora.

“No big deal – I’ve got time.”

It had been a while, but Akemi had hardly changed at all. It was comforting, somehow. No matter how long he’d been gone, no matter what he and his friends had to go through, they would always have a place here. This was home.

Sora smiled. “Alright. Where should I start?”

End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it. I'm finally done.
> 
> It's been a long process, and it's taken a lot of work, but this story has been a lot of fun to write. Thank you so much to all of you who kept reading. Your support means a lot to me. 
> 
> I've got another project in the planning stages, but don't expect to see it right away. It's for an entirely different fandom, so I'm not sure how many of you will be interested. Still, keep an eye out for it.
> 
> I'm so glad you liked Distant Hearts. Again, thanks for everything.


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